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December 2007, Page 1.
Index of articles:
by subject,
by date.
In this issue:
(December 2007)
Christmas,
Isaiah,
Charles Wesley,
Hymn.
The immensity of Christmas
“Far out in the unfashionable end of a spiral arm of a perfectly ordinary galaxy, there is an utterly insignificant blue-green planet whose ape-descended life forms are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital wristwatches are a pretty neat idea.” Or something like that, is how Douglas Adams writes in his “Hitch-hiker’s guide to the galaxy” series of books, in which he pokes fun at the machinations of trying to discover the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything.
Well, you can see his point, can’t you? The earth circles one rather faint star among billions of others in a galaxy which is itself one of billions in the universe. The human race has existed for only a tiny fraction of the length of time the universe has lasted. How can it be reasonable to suppose that, if there is any such thing as god, he/she/it would have any particular interest in humanity? Or even if he/she/it did, that god would be remotely comprehensible by us?
It’s very interesting to me that Douglas Adams’ book is shot through with biblical ideas, despite his wish to debunk Christianity. His very title suggests the pilgrim people which the bible portrays, and “the restaurant at the end of the universe” brings images of the banquet which Jesus used to portray heaven. His answer “forty-two” turns up in the book of Revelation in answer to the cry of the saints: “How long, O Lord?”, and his basic idea of getting drunk because the question is too big is echoed in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes. Somehow, despite his best efforts, Adams is unable to escape the bible.
Because the bible contains the record, not only of man’s search for the answer, but also of God’s provision of the answer. Yes, it would be impossible for mankind to reach outside the universe and examine God ... but it’s not impossible for God to step inside the universe and limit himself to humanity. Yes, we can’t get our mind round him, but that doesn’t stop him speaking in words we can understand.
And so at the heart of the bible is the incredible story that God did come on a voyage of discovery to earth. Wow! Imagine that!
Some theologians think God’s arrival, in the person of Jesus, was so he could find out what it is like to be us. The bible has a more urgent mission: he came because we needed him. There is a basic problem in the hearts of people. We don’t know why God should take an interest in us, but it’s just as well for us that he does!
John Hartley