Who you are, deep down, is an answer to God’s dreams. God’s expectations. God’s hopes. You are exactly who God had in mind when you were made.
Today we celebrate new life. It is Christmas - a chance to start over, for all things to be rightly ordered through the gift of this small child. This unexpected, long hoped for grace.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:3-5)
Without a doubt, who you are now is not what you expected when you were younger. The struggles and the pains that came with growing up are not what you hoped for. That your teenage years would be spent so achingly in fear and hiding. That your young adulthood would be spent feeling like such an outsider. Without knowing exactly what it was, no doubt you dreamed of more.
And yet.
And yet you are here. The darkness has not overcome it. You are a light for all the world, shining through the darkness that is your past, the world’s bigotry and hatred, your own disappointments.
The people of God expected more than a mere baby. If you were to tell them clearly and directly, this child in a manger is the answer to all your prayers, who would believe such a thing? Who did? With time and perspective we have begun to see how perfect of an answer Jesus is to our ancestor’s pleas. A fulfillment of promises and exactly what was needed. Even if on that first Christmas, so few could see it.
Without him nothing came to be. You were made through him. Who you are, deep down, is an answer to God’s dreams. God’s expectations. God’s hopes. You are exactly who God had in mind when you were made. Your sexuality - your love - it is an essential part of God’s plans for you. In him, living the way God made you, you are now a light in the darkness. You are creation rightly ordered, an essential piece of God’s invitation to our world to start over, to try again, learn from our mistakes.
To embrace the humility he showed us. The compassion for those who are outcasts. The love and joy in their presence. Celebrating diversity and goodness and hope. This is who you were made to be in Christ Jesus. Born this Christmas morn.
Testify to the light.