AfterWords | Our Humble King (January 7, 2024)
AfterWords is a series of community-contributed reflections intended to further the conversations that begin during Parish sermons.
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A 3-Minute Read
by Keely Darnell
This past weekend the Church celebrated the Feast of Epiphany—the celebration of recognizing the Christ child as King and Savior. John Ott posed these questions to our congregation this past Sunday:
- What does the birth of Jesus tell us about who God is?
- If you oversaw the arrival of the Messiah, how would you do it?
Some responses from the congregation for the first question were: authentic, vulnerable, everlasting, near, relatable, humble, simple.
I am writing this 22 weeks pregnant with a baby boy. I am acutely aware of how dependent my son is on me. I am breathing for him, eating for him, and housing him. He is vulnerable, dependent, needy, and humble.
If I were in charge of the arrival of the Messiah, I would have had Jesus come as a grown adult. Being an unborn infant is vulnerable. Being an infant, child, and teenager is humbling.
The God who breathed life into Adam allowed a young unwed woman to breathe for him for nine months.
The God who created the world, and everything in it, grew inside of a woman’s womb for nine months.
This shows us a God who is comfortable with being vulnerable and dependent on others.
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It is comforting to think of God as powerful. And God is powerful. The Psalms talk about God as our Strong King, Mighty Mountain, Holy One, and Sustainer of All.
What Epiphany is revealing to me this year is that the most powerful being and people are the ones who freely give up their power. Who are comfortable with being vulnerable and interdependent. The most powerful are the ones who are comfortable not having power.
In our American culture the narrative is this: always get more. More money. More power. More influence. Being seen as needy and vulnerable is shameful. We elect leaders based on how much power they seem to have. Those with power and authority receive respect. Independence and self-reliance are praised.
In the biblical narrative we see something different. Something countercultural to how we operate in America.
Isn’t that what Epiphany is—a new understanding, a different way of seeing.
May God give us eyes to see Him.
Reflection Questions:
1. Do you sense an invitation to practice humility in your places of power and influence?
2. Is there an invitation for you to freely give up some of your power and influence?
