Lenten Meditations, 7: Incarnation

We will not give a love-starved person the remedy by merely telling them how much they need love. We will give it to them if we give them love.

We will not give a Christ-starved person the remedy merely by telling them how much they need Christ. We will give it to them if we give them Christ.

You might ask -- how on earth are we supposed to do that without telling them about him?

It's not that we shouldn't tell them about him, but human words are not the final remedy, however true they are. The only remedy is the Word of God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.

Sometimes we may be tempted to think that if we preach a good enough sermon, people's hunger will be filled, their problem solved. But if we think that our words are enough to give someone life, we are mistaken -- however true they may objectively be. The only thing that gives life is God, and so if we rely instead on ourselves to argue them into life, or talk them into life, we risk leaving them more alone than when they started.

Why? Are we not supposed to preach the Gospel? Certainly, all the time. But words are not always the first way to preach it, especially when words come at the expense of listening. If we reduce the Gospel to only a verbally preached word, we risk taking the humanity out of it, the heart out of it, the love out of it -- Christ out of it. Love is acted out and given, not merely talked about -- though it is worth talking about. People need not merely our words, but the Word; not mere talk about the Love made flesh, but Love Himself made flesh. When you look at someone and think, "What they need is Christ," you are right. But how are they going to be given him? Their heart is starving for love, and Christ himself saw that the only way to finally bring us that love was by becoming flesh. So if we reduce Christ to a mere concept we're trying to convince others of, we are in danger of missing the point and causing more harm than good. Love is Incarnational: Christ has irrevocably shown us that. We need to bring them Christ -- Christ is what they need, and only Christ will fill them. Not just words, but the Word made flesh.

But how are we supposed to do that? We're not Christ--are we? We can't be Christ -- can we? Christ became Incarnate once and for all; but in you he seeks to become incarnate every single day. You are a little Christ: your call is to let Christ live through you. In other words, you are called to let Love become incarnate in you. You give people Christ by being Christ to them; you are Christ to people by being love to them in the name of Christ. But Love gives everything and expects nothing in return. Love gives sacrificially: it does not loan. Paul insists that without love, the most extravagant acts (or words) for the Gospel are worthless -- we must take note. Only what is fueled by Love will remain in the end. The rest will be consumed by fire.

We live for love, because Love died for us. Now we are called to do the same for others.