Presence not Presents

“What good is it to me if Mary gave birth to the son of God 1400 years ago and
I do not give birth to him in my time and culture?”

- Meister Eckhart

In about a fortnight I will start to think about the Christmas presents I need to buy. But right now I want to think about presence not presents. Immanuel rather than the gifts the wise men brought to Jesus, or the presents we soon need to think about buying.

In the Garden of Eden we have a picture of God walking in the garden in the cool of the day and calling out to Adam and Eve after they had disobeyed him ‘Where are you?’

The first Christmas is like God coming again to the garden, a kind of looking for humankind with a view to restoring it to how it once was. Immanuel is God’s presence in our world to reclaim, recreate and restore. God comes looking.

God walks again in his garden in Jesus who came in the power of the Spirit. God made and rested after his work was completed. God is now remaking and renewing and one day will rest along with all of creation and all those who will come to him. It seems that one difference between the first creation and the new creation is that we have a part to play in this renewing with Jesus who says ‘Look, I am making everything new’ (Revelation, 21:5). God’s ultimate intention for creation is the establishment of community that focuses on him and lives out kingdom values.

Mary & Child by Thai
artist Chinnawong

Jesus has drawn us into his presence which saves us from ourselves and saves us for serving God and others by participating with Jesus in his making everything new. Paul says God has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry and message of reconciliation.

How might we work with God to best bring his presence to those outside the Church, not just at Christmas but throughout the year? Is it not the case that as we serve others in God’s name with deeds and words we bring God to them in a way that he would not have been had we not gone? As we live kingdom principles out of a life that has taken time to be present to God might others not experience the presence of God and catch a glimpse of his kingdom.

Meister Eckhart, a German theologian who lived almost seven centuries ago wrote ‘What good is it to me if Mary gave birth to the Son of God 1400 years ago, and I do not give birth to him in my time and culture.’ Who can we bring God to and how can we best do that?