The gospel -- provocative? Surprising? Who'd known.

Imagine hearing news of the child - to be the savior of not only Israel, but of every nation that was and would ever be.

It still astounds me that God --powerful, sovereign...a pretty much amazing fella-- would choose to be ordinary. One of us. That song -- you know, Joan Osborne's mid(?)-90s hit "What if God Was One of Us" (I loved it)...it seemed to ask that one central question on the minds of those seeking:

Would God know what I'm talking about? Where I'm coming from?

Joan's question resounds in my lyrics-laden brain -- If God had a face/What would it look like and would you wanna see/If seeing meant that you would have to believe

The gospel brings us news of God's face -- not in a vision in some overarching cloud about to rain down on Creation, but an infant, born to a virgin (who?!) in a manger (what?!). God's face -- in that newborn -- God's face -- in a son.

If God had a name/What would it be and would you call it to his face?

Maybe this year we can speak a resounding, "Yes!" to that question, saying, "Come, Jesus."