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By Rob Des Cotes
He came to that which was His own. John 1:11
 In 1961, astronaut Alan Shepard, the first man to ever view the earth from space, expressed his sense of awe using the only words that seemed fitting at the time. Gazing at the beautiful gem of his home planet Shepard quoted from the first chapter of the Bible, 'In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.' '
Never had these words held such meaning for humans as when they were read from the perspective of that spectacular view from outer space. Something of a similar perspective is also needed in order to appreciate heaven's sense of God coming to earth in the birth of Jesus. Jesus did much more than simply come to earth. He was not merely a visitor from a far, a foreign messenger bringing a divine word to us from above. Meteors come from above, land on the earth and are embedded in its crust. But they always remain foreign objects to us. They are never truly a part of who we are. But Jesus not only came to the earth, He also came from it from its own matter.
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In Mary's womb, Jesus' body drew the chemicals and minerals necessary for Him to grow. He, the Creator of all that exists,became a product of His own creation. And, like a seed that draws nutrients from the soil in order to become a tree, Jesus still draws from the earth all that is needed for His ministry. This is the mystery of the Incarnation that continues to unfold in and through our lives today.God comes from within. Jesus has entered deep into the DNA of creation and the earth has never been the same.
Like the images we see of scientists fertilizing cells, where DNA from one cell is injected into another, a divine gene has been injected into the flesh of the world and has altered the destiny of our host cell forever. Jesus continues to incarnate from within. The core of who we are and of who we are becoming has been altered forever. Deeply embedded in our lives, the Lord now redirects our personality and our destiny.
He is now, and for all time, one-with-us. And we, by the grace of God, are becoming one-with-Him.
Rob Des Cotes is a spiritual director and pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He teaches Contemplative Traditions at Trinity Western University, as well as courses on spirituality and the arts at Carey Theological College and Columbia Bible College. Rob also directs Imago Dei (www.imagodeicommunity.ca) a network of faith communities that encourages the practice of prayer and a transforming relationship with God. Rob is a regular contributor to canadianchristianity.com. To obtain 'Higher than I' go to: www.clementspublishing.com
April 3/2008
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