Monday, January 14, 2008

Do you remember the song: “What if God was one of us?”

It asked the very simple question, if “God” was “one of us” what would you expect of Him? How would you react if you knew that “He” worked in the city, caught public transport to and from the office, went for walks in the park and ate regularly with his friends in his favourite cafe. Imagine if God worked “part-time” in your office, or served behind the counter of the local butcher shop. As I write, an electrician is replacing some lights in our house. What if he was God? Would that change our concepts? Would that change our spirituality?

“If God was one of us” what would he be like?

Would we notice Him?

It is amazing that this song was written and it’s questions asked, when Christmas is still celebrated every year. Does this mean that the impact of the true message of Bethlehem has been totally lost on us.

God was “one of us”. He was a stranger walking home along suburban streets every day passing simple folk, just like you and me, as they all made their way to and from work. He was part of the “everydayness” of life. He was bumped into, he was sat beside, he was heard, he was interrupted, he was questioned and he was answered. He laughed at other peoples jokes, he told stories, he sang and danced, he lived with us, a “normal” man in a “normal” world. He had a mother and a father, sisters and brothers, aunties and uncles, friends and enemies. In between the miracles and the teachings was a life that was just like any other.

How strange.

6 Comments:

Blogger Sue said...

I remember when this song came out - in 1996, Wikipedia informs me (and, interestingly, written by one of the guys out of The Hooters, but I digress). I was a bit more of a scared fundamentalist in those days, only 3 years into my faith, and I remember looking down on this song, dismissing it, thinking it was quite blasphemous that anyone would write a song making God so ... well, unholy and well, human.

Go figure :)

6:25 pm  
Blogger Candy said...

And remarkable.

12:26 am  
Blogger Sassiekiwi said...

Rich Mullins had a great song on this concept ... Boy Like Me, Man Like You. It's a good thing to stop sometimes and ponder the "humanness" of Jesus.

Recently I was struggling ... my niece (17 mths) had been diagnosed with Leukemia. Someone made a comment that God has a great plan for her. They made that comment having lost their own nephew to cancer when he was two. It knocked me off my feet and brought to a place of having to face the reality that maybe God's plan might be that she has a short life. As I was struggling with facing this path, the thing that helped me was looking at Jesus in his humanness in Gethsemane. That in that moment when he looked at what was in front, he was fully human when he cried out, "God, if there is any other way ... I don't want this ..." The strength for me was knowing he had walked those roads and knew what it was to struggle and submit to God's will. His humanness made him approachable for me ...

6:51 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

ahhh...and what if god was in all of us?
would people be a little more kind when noone is looking?
would the acceptance of others as they "become" be based on a fleeting skim of perusal and a pigeon hole lock down of judgement? i wonder...

7:10 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't believe in talking snakes, a world wide flood and the sun standing still in the sky. When I read this stuff in the Bible, I know it is symbolism, poetry and metaphor, and that it can still convey profound truth.

In the same way, when I read stories of virgin births, incarnate deities I still see symbolism masking truth.

God is beyond tricks like jumping in and out of wombs and coffins to impress people.

And the God I know doesn't require worship, emotionalism and the singing of songs and making of music. God is too important to waste time with "Christians" in their misguided attempts to encapsulate through unnecessary worship experience.

1:43 pm  
Blogger Unknown said...

David, I am far closer to your ideas and concepts than you realise.. you can read my stories as 'facts' or you can read them as allegories and still find comfort. As for "worship and praise" I couldn't agree more. How can we 'lift our hands in worship' whilst ignoring the the poor and needy outside our 'doors'

1:53 pm  

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