The Possibility of Closeness [a Christmas poem]

We all have a dingy chamberdarkening the deep stone walls of our broken hearts where behind the doubt encrusted bars screams a familiar voice

it screams louder than you ignore stronger than you can avoid it is your voice it is our voice

we are all wrapped up in a prison without a lock and we scream we moan and scream again for something for more for God

we are all born broken people with specifically aching hearts needing God to come closer

we need more than myths, fables, and fairy tales forcing God into a book we need someone real we need more than philosophy some god in outer space means nothing to us so we scream come closer

so welcome you and your locked up voice come on in welcome to the possibility of closeness

we do not pursue a generic god with a generic faith we will not be 'spiritual' in a generic way the possibility of closeness is not 'whatever it means to you, it means to you'

it is going to require a bit of faith and faith is pretty simple, really it is nothing you muster up it is divine illumination an operation of God whereby we stand on tipped toes extending twitching fingers for something we could never reach and God makes it apprehendable he makes it possible

faith is learning to trust a God giving promises he intends to keep promises to hear your voice promises to make possibilities of closeness

so today cannot be filed down to farm animal figurines atop your fireplace mantle today is not the hope of shopping God closer as if closeness to God tasted like 34th street miracles and credit card debt

no, today is the celebration of an explosion so silent it wouldn't wake a sleeping baby it is the arresting eruption of the reality God became flesh so ssssssstop for a second and soak it in

God came close as the skin and bone of your own forearm. God became flesh so the Light of the World could be seen as clearly as you see me

The possibility fo closeness is here and not one of our words contain his name the message is too majestic for our methods so he said, 'call me Jesus call me Immanuel, God with us"

the possibility of closeness is nothing more than seeing Jesus and responding to what you have seen

God showed up to shepherds because he goes to those who have time to listen the possibility of closeness is only closed off from those to busy to pay attention

God came close enough to be broken to be tired, weary, and fearing failure to catch a cold and a case of hurt feeling and your locked up voice is going to keep him distantly divine

but don't you listen to that

let God be as human as he was because if you do not let him in He cannot get you out

Christianity is not an ethic it is not a morality or philosophy of life it is a love affair the thrill of falling in love and being loved by Jesus Christ born to bring us closer to God

So today is for those who need God to come closer because Christmas is the possibility of closeness

* check back tomorrow for a gift