Are you open to the supernatural
In the Gospel of Matthew chapter 3, we see John the Baptist, a prophet, in the wilderness calling people out of the settlements to come to be baptized. This beautiful writing evokes the wandering of the Israelites in the desert within Exodus. He predicts that there is a ruler coming to save them. A ruler of the Kingdom of Heaven. He says we should prepare for his arrival.
Incarnation is coming!
Incarnation is a big word that means God inhabits a body. The supernatural inhabits the natural. For Americans, this is a strange concept because we have beaten the supernatural out of the world and into the movies, books, and TV shows. It’s not something that happens now in reality. And this distorts our reality and limits a vital part of our lives.
God shows up in creation if you are open to seeing God. What I most appreciate about our African brothers and sister on the continent is that they haven’t relinquished two things, a sense of the supernatural and a sense of community. Much of what is wrong in the US can be pushed down to people refusing to let intervene in the world, and not loving our neighbours. And look what it has gotten us! So this season, look for God and don’t give into a purely academic view of God. Expect miracles, expect to see the divine in others. Because God still shows up. God hasn’t abandoned us and for that, we should give thanks!