Perfect Child

(Pre-Script: This post should be read as the song," Walk Down This Mountain," #24 on the playlist, plays in the background. Go down to the playlist, click on that song, then come back and resume reading. I'll wait...) (...still waiting...)

How many people talk about their own babies and children as if they have given birth to the next Messiah?

"My baby is perfect."

"My baby knows the alphabet-IN CANTONESE, no less! I can tell because he blinks it to me in a series of blinks that he just made up out of his natural genuineness."

We roll our eyes at this. But who in their right mind would actually want to be the mother of Jesus?? And I don't mean what you are thinking, because He was GOD in human form, although there is that, too. It would require a special calling and grace to actually give birth to, and raise the son of God. I mean, who would want to handle the level of Spiritual attack surrounding your entire life? Not to mention basic public humiliation and rejection?

Imagine Mary sharing her news with the neighborhood:

"Guess what, everyone in the tiny town where I grew up who might stone me if I am every found to be pregnant and unwed, I am pregnant! And unwed! But have no fear, don't get angry and all up in a tizzy, an angel told me it's the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit is the father!"

How many people actually believed that?

Then there was Joseph:

"Well, at first I didn't believe her, but trust me, she's telling the truth; I saw an angel who confirmed the story, so...we are just going to continue on with the marriage."

I wonder who actually came to the wedding. I wonder what they said behind the backs of Mary and Joseph...this very scandalous couple who claimed they saw angels. Angels! Weird! And some scurvy hippie Shepherds claimed they saw angels too! Well, that's no surprise, what do those Shepherds do to pass the time on that hill while watching the sheep by night? What sort of *extra curricular activities* are they smoking?

And then, many months later there was the arrival of the Wise Men, who traveled far to follow the star that lead them to inquire of a jealous, rageful, evil King Herod, who had all boys under the age of two killed. Who can imagine such horror.?? Who would wish such unimaginable grief into the world?

I don't think the players in the actual story of the birth of Jesus were having much fun, yet this is what it took to bring the possibility of eternal peace into the lives of all people.
Think twice before calling your kid "perfect."

*Mary, the mother of the only perfect child ever born, was told from the start the a sword would pierce her own heart.*
Before the possibility of reconciliation could be realized, This one birth ripped the entire world apart.

-XOXO,