The Big Picture
If you have listened to me preach much, you probably know that I am a “big picture” kind of guy. When I read a passage of Scripture, I always ask myself how it fits into the “big picture” of Scripture and the life of the Church. I have a core conviction that everything has a context and that often informs how we understand and apply what we ready.
While I am thankful that we read a lot of Scripture in our worship tradition, it is still rather piecemeal. A snippet here and a snippet there. But unless we make a deliberate effort, we can miss the forest for the trees.
In the Festival of Lessons and Carols we are reminded of the grand sweep of God’s work in history, what theologians call “salvation history.”
The Incarnation – Jesus taking on flesh and blood – is not just a way to get Him here so that we can get to Good Friday and Easter. It is an essential part of God’s plan and work. He came to walk among us, to be one of us, not to simply perform a sacrifice on the cross. God’s way of working with us is to be with us, and the completion of salvation history is each of us restored to God.
Jesus’ coming teaches us that we are not just a project that didn’t go as planned and must now be rescued. Rather, God’s entire plan and purpose was that we would be with Him, whenever and wherever we may be!
This column appeared in the January 2, 2022 edition of St. John’s eNews. Click here for the complete issue.
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