Advent Day 7: Becoming Human

Link to Advent Devotional here: ⁣ https://tinyurl.com/yysjvwjm⁣ ⁣ Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13 Ezekiel 36:24-28 Mark 11:27-33⁣ ⁣ 𝘔𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺, ‘𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵.’ 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘸𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦-𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵.⁣ –St. Theophan the Recluse⁣ ⁣ To live as a follower of Jesus is to believe that transformation is possible. It is to profess through word and deed that we are not finished products, neither has our journey reached its final destination. Whatever keeps you up at night or leaves you anxious during the day does not have to forever define who you are or who you will be, yet it is remarkably easy to fall into this way of thinking, is it not? “I’ve always been this way,” we say, throwing our hands up in defeat. Though common and understandable, we must begin to see that there is nothing inherently Christian about this way of viewing the world, or our place within it.⁣ ⁣ It is possible to live your entire life and never become truly human. In many ways, this is one of the primary insights we are meant to glean from this season of preparation. Though we may eat, sleep, laugh, and cry, we are capable in the process of missing the end for which we were created, namely, to share in the very life of God. In taking on flesh and bones, Jesus condescends and speaks to us “at our level.” Yet the heart of his message was, is, and will forever be one of growth, becoming something we previously were not.⁣ ⁣ As God promises in Ezekiel 36:26, “I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Fundamentally, this is a promise of transformation. It is a reminder that one can live without being truly alive. In short, it is an invitation to become fully human.⁣ ⁣ 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸⁣ Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.⁣ ⁣ 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲⁣ If you don’t have one already, consider beginning a prayer journal this Advent. As we journey through this life, it is important to remember where we’ve been along the way, and more significantly, who we have become in the process. A simple record of your life with God can serve as a source of encouragement and a reminder of his faithfulness in your life, especially in seasons when you may be prone to forget or doubt his goodness and love for you.