A month ago, Christians were celebrating a birth.

It was the birth of Jesus.

Who was Jesus?

I asked confirmation students.

They said, “The Son of God.”

I asked adult classes.

They said, “The Son of God.”

I asked some men in prison.

They said, “The Son of God.”

And — each time — I said, “No! No! No!”

Not that they were wrong.

But I wanted a different answer.

I wanted to begin at the beginning — not the end!

Who was Jesus?

He was a human being!

He was not some fairy-tale character!

For heaven’s sake, He was born!

(And even more-for earth’s sake.)

He was born in a city we could still visit.

He was born 2009 years ago.

He had a human mother.

His mother went through labor.

His birth hurt her.

Someone cut the umbilical cord.

He needed cleaning-and wrapping.

Someone laid him on her tummy.

His mother nursed him and changed him.

His mother tucked him in and washed his clothes.

He needed everything that every human child needs.

His mother gave him everything a human mother can give.

In the words of “The Jungle Book,” he was a “Man-cub.”

So began the life of Jesus.

Why do I insist on starting there?

I ask, “Why not start there?”

What better place is there?

Every human being starts there.

His birth is a connection for us all.

Jesus came as “one of us.”

He came to be “one of us.”

What do we need more, than that He be “one of us.”

Not a “Helicopter God” — lowering a rope to us.

Rather, a “Pit-God” — right down in the pit with us.

Spared nothing human!

Sometimes celebrating with us.

Sometimes swamping it with us.

Don’t you love a human like that?

Wouldn’t you love a God like that?

And isn’t that what he turned out to be?

We need always to begin with the beginning.

So that we can end where we need to end.

And where do we need to end?

Captured by the love of that human.

Who was sent by his Father — and ours.

And if that doesn’t melt our resistance — 

I don’t know what can.