Engagement

Of all the gods in all the world, those in the heavens and those under the earth, one thing distinguishes the God of the Bible over all other deities.

Only He is the God who engages. Only He is the God who comes.

All other gods expect, expect us to search for them, appease them, and come to them. Some are brutal in their expectation. Sacrifice. Mutilation. Penance. Begging. Cajoling. Even time in hell to earn heaven.

The gods are arbitrary: Is my appeasement, my effort, good enough?

But the God of Christianity is neither punitive nor arbitrary. The One who identifies as, I AM, is unique in that He comes to us, no strings attached. It’s of His own initiative. His motivation to engage is love.

It is amazing. It is gracious. It is divine and good. It is merciful. It is Christmas!