When a baby is born, it undergoes a dramatic shift in circumstances. It was cocooned in a deluxe, temperature controlled environment, with twenty-four hour room service. Then, they get thrust out into the world. It’s cold. It’s windy. And getting food suddenly becomes a really big deal.
Eventually, the baby gets on a schedule. Food, sleep, and personal interaction get organized. Unfortunately, the baby’s schedule, and the parent’s schedule, are often out of sync.
A friend of mine remarked after his first children were born (they had twins) that he never realized how selfish he was, until he had kids. Caring for someone, who is totally dependent, and not flexible as to times and places, could make parents, who are used to more freedom, feel trapped. It could even lead to resentment. In today’s world, people do not seem to tolerate limits put on them. Especially from the outside.
But God so loved the world, that he limited himself by becoming human. He met our weakness, our failure, and our brokenness, and totally changed his behavior. He chose the extreme limits: capture, torture, and death.
Love chooses to modify its behavior to see someone else’s good occur. When offended, love chooses patience. When someone is in need, it surrenders time, energy, and resources. When someone succeeds, love rejoices. Love sees equals, supports weakness, expects success, and growth, and keeps giving.
Jesus calls us to live in the way of love. Jesus’s message and mission, accepting, and trusting, his way, and living in love can only flip the world on its head.
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