Rejoice Always: incarnation is the dance of divine humanity
Rejoice! Rejoice! When do we rejoice? Major life events? Graduations, falling in love, marriage, birth, new job, career move, purchasing a home, retirement, travel?
Writing 2000 years ago from prison to his friends in Philippi, Paul assures them that they should not be concerned about his imprisonment, and that even if he is put to death they should rejoice because, regardless of circumstance, the unsurpassed peace of God’s presence is with him, and, also with them. “So rejoice, and let your gentleness be known to everyone” because God is near, not just in our winning life events, but always, and perhaps especially, when things seems to be spinning out of control. God is dancing with us even when we are suffering, imprisoned or, inevitably, facing death.
In the birth, life, ministry, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus we witness the incomprehensible dance of humanity and divinity. Not only witness, but we are meant to wholeheartedly participate and rejoice in the veiled dance, the dance of becoming fully human and divine. I believe this is what incarnation is about. It is the revelation of the divinity of humanity and the humanity of divinity. There is no separation. Just the one incarnate dance of humanity and divinity that we call life.
In the gospel text according to Luke, we meet John the Baptizer who pulls no punches as he describes the dance of humanity and divinity. ( Luke 3.7–18) John baptizes us by water, through which we assume our place in the company of humanity. We Christians call this the Body of Christ, the Church, in which we are members and inheritors of God’s kingdom on earth. Community is where we practice caring for one another, sharing our coats, equitably distributing resources, being honest in our business dealings. This is how we grow into the full stature of humanity. But, this is just the beginning of our incarnation. This is preparation for our baptism by fire.
When Jesus arrives on the scene, he delivers our baptism by fire, through which we mature even further, stretching to assume our place incarnating divinity. It is through the combination of our baptisms by water and by fire that we evolve into the fullness of our divine humanity. This is the meaning of incarnation. And, it is the incarnation of our divine humanity that enables us to fulfill the New Covenant; to love God with all our heart, soul and mind and love one another as God loves us.
How is it that our baptisms by water and fire conspire to inspire the mysterious dance of our divine humanity? As usual, Jesus shows us the way.
When Jesus is baptized by water, “the heaven is opened, and the Holy Spirit descends upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice comes from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’” (Luke 21–22) John’s baptism of Jesus by water confirms Jesus’ humanity, son of God. We know what happens next. Immediately Jesus is “led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he fasts then is tempted by the devil.” (Luke 4.1) This is Jesus’ baptism by fire, the fire in which his faith is tested and his trustworthy relationship with God is secured by his responses to temptation while in his most vulnerable humanity.
Even though he is hungry, weak and depleted by fasting, Jesus boldly aligns himself with the word of God as he has learned it by living in Jewish community and studying Torah. This was his preparation. Rather than succumbing to self-satisfying interest, by“turning these stones to bread”, Jesus relies on the word of God found in scripture and responds, “One does not live by bread alone.” (4.3) When Jesus catches a glimpse of the “power and authority he could have over all the kingdoms of the world,” (4.5–6) again, Jesus relies on God with him to resist the temptation, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only God.” (4.8) Finally, when tempted to test God’s faithfulness by leaping off a high place, Jesus affirms God’s faithfulness, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” (4.12)
Jesus, baptized by water and by fire, manifests fully human and fully divine incarnation.
Here is the thing. The spark that ignites Jesus’ divine humanity, is the transforming fire to which each one of us is also invited to consent. Consent. This is an important word. Jesus consents to enter the wilderness, to undergo his baptism by fire without knowing where it will lead him. Jesus consents to his vulnerable humanity, to enduring hunger, discomfort and resisting the temptation to enhance his power and control. Jesus boldly puts his faith in God rather than in himself, and in so doing Jesus incarnates divine humanity.
The question is, are we prepared to do likewise? Are ready to follow the prophet Isaiah’s instruction “Prepare the way of the Lord?” (Is 40.3), words John the Baptizer repeats when we come to the Jordan to be baptized by water, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him?” We prepare the way of God by studying the words of scripture and practicing them in community. This is the way of growing into the fullness of our humanity. But this is just the beginning.
Next we are invited to consent to go where we do not know, as did the young peasant girl Mary, who, when confronted by an angel, consents to be overshadowed by a fiery Spirit, consents to be a god-bearer, having no idea what this means or where it will lead her? Are we prepared to say “Yes,” “Let it be with me according to your word?” Are we prepared to boldly put our faith in God rather than in ourselves or our ability to understand? Are we prepared to incarnate our divine humanity?
This is what Advent is about. Preparing ourselves to see and to be the incarnation of divine humanity. And so we take Paul’s counsel to the people of Philippi to heart and “Rejoice in the Lord always…!”, find our joy in God with us.
Because, God is with us, no matter what. We prepare the way of the Lord by making ourselves available to incarnate this amazing grace, God with us and for us, God, our “stronghold and sure defense.” As with Mary, God depends on our consent to incarnate because God never imposes God’s self on us. To do so would not be love born of faithfulness.
Of course we know that consenting to God with us does not lead to a happily ever after life. Mary’s consent to be overshadowed by the Spirit leads her to giving birth to an amazing son, Jesus, whom she watches grow in wisdom, witnesses him minister, be persecuted, beaten, tortured and nailed to a cross. Likewise, Jesus’ consent to God with him does not lead to a suffering free life nor a pleasant death. O dear!
The Franciscan teacher, priest and contemplative in action Richard Rohr writes, “there are only two major paths by which the human soul comes to God: the path of great love, and the one of great suffering. Both finally come down to great suffering — because if we love anything greatly, we will eventually suffer for it.” *
We are meant to be god-bearers. We are invited to incarnate the mysterious dance too great for words, the ineffable dance of humanity and divinity, full of grace, full of glory and inevitable suffering. So rejoice, always! Incarnate the mysterious dance.
Debra Asis
All words are generated by grace and the grit of this real human being in response to the texts Philippians 4.4–7, Isaiah 12.2–6 , Luke 3.7–18
* https://cac.org/daily-meditations/life-coming-to-a-focus-the-path-of-great-love-and-great-suffering-2020-03-20/
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