Christian Conversations: The perfect Christmas vs. God's imperfect incarnation

Living in today's society, we all know about the Christmas-time pressure to do more, have more, and be more. Spend, spend, spend is the way to a magical Christmas that gladdens the heart of all those around you. Everything must be picture perfect and on-trend, but by the time that's achieved the organizers are exhausted. Are we playing God when we strive to create perfection? And why is perfection the goal anyway?

The first Christmas was full of imperfection. For starters, Mary and Joseph were in isolation. They didn't have their family or friends around them, or any traditional support for the birth. The real story has been cleaned up and domesticated, so as to be useful to the powers that be. There is a deeper message and a deeper vision within God's imperfect incarnation. One that's more liberating and freeing.

 The lecture will be posted on the Strathearn United…