Embodiment

In my previous blog, I mentioned my word for the year is "growth". I want to grow in my relationship with Jesus and in being more like Him. There's another word that keeps coming to me, though, as well, and that word is "embodiment".

How do I live what I preach? How do I model the type of faith I believe Jesus calls us to? How do I live out the love and grace and generosity He tells us to live?

I'm not interested in getting sucked back into religious trappings. I want to live a life of faith. That's what this blog has largely been about - seeking a pure faith while sorting out the dirt and grime which has polluted much of the Church.

While I'm still figuring out what embodiment means for me, and how to be more authentic in my day to day life, I know what embodiment meant to Jesus.

Christian doctrine states that Jesus was both 100% man and 100% God. Of course, that kind of math doesn’t make sense to us in our limited human understanding and within the rules and limitations of our world. But God is outside of this space and time and outside of our understanding (thankfully). All things are possible for Him.

At different times or perhaps with different doctrines, we seem to overly focus on one aspect of Jesus while neglecting the other. We focus on His humanity, but not His divinity, or on His divinity, but not His humanity. It is hard for us to hold both equally true.

Jesus was 100% human. He had a human body. He likely breastfed as a baby, produced dirty diapers Mary had to change, cried when He was hungry or cold, and stumbled around like a drunk sailor while learning to walk. As an adolescence coming into His changing body, it's possible He had acne and a body odor (have you smelled a teenage boy recently?) and burping contests with His friends. As an adult, He probably had callouses on His hands from working in Joseph's carpentry shop and blisters on His feet from walking everywhere. Sometimes if He ate something that didn't agree with Him, He may have had stomach issues, as have we all. 

If these types of statements feel sacrilegious, it is likely because we've overfocused on His divinity. 

Jesus is 100% divine. He was there in the beginning of time. He made appearances in the Old Testament (called "theophanies"). When He taught, people listened because He spoke with authority - because He is the authority. He knows what people are thinking and feeling. He holds the power to heal and to do miracles. He is able to forgive sins and accept worship. He loves unconditionally, feels compassion for the lost and the hurting, and is with those in need.

Jesus embodies and even exemplifies the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. He lived and breathed them while on Earth, walking among His disciples. 

100% human. 100% divine.

One thing I teach in my classes is the power of presence. I use a video by Brené Brown which talks about the difference between sympathy and empathy. The video closes with this important line, "Rarely does a response make something better. What makes something better, is connection."

I tell people that even if there is nothing else we can do to help someone in need, simply being there with them is powerful. It is helping. Especially if you can maintain a peace in the midst of their storm.

There’s this really cool thing in neuroscience called mirror neurons. Mirror neurons are designed to mirror the emotions and energy levels of others. For example, when someone else yawns you… yawn. If someone else is laughing, you feel the urge to laugh too even if you don’t know what’s funny.

Have you ever been in an argument with someone where they come in super mad at you and all of a sudden, you’re mad too, and you don’t even know why? That's the work of mirror neurons! Of course, in this case, they are working against you.

We can use mirror neurons to our advantage. If we can maintain our peace and calm when with another who is in distress, our calm will actually help the other person to calm down. Their mirror neurons will begin to mirror ours.

We teach this to parents all the time. When your kids are having a tantrum, it's important for you to stay calm. As Dr. Bruce Perry says, "A dysregulated parent cannot regulate a dysregulated child." 

This is the power of presence.

I think the power of presence is very related to the idea of embodiment.

Jesus, embodying the fruit of the Spirit, being everything He teaches us to be, is the power of presence.

Even the fact that Jesus was God walking among man was the power of presence! What better way to demonstrate His love for us and His compassion for humankind than by stepping into history, into time and space, into the rules of our universe, and limiting Himself to a human body. Consider Philippians 2:6-7 :

"Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness."

That is an unbelievable power of presence. He is the calm in the storm! (He even quite literally calmed storms on the sea a few times.)

There’s a great new song by Maverick City called, "In the Room". One particular line that jumps out at me states, "He’s not just seated on His throne, He is here inside my home."

Whatever we are going through, He is there with us. Sometimes the fear or distress of our circumstances blocks us from feeling Him, but that does not change the fact that He is with us.  He is in the room.

The power of His presence. The embodiment of peace and comfort. The calm in our storm.

Isn’t that good news?

But wait - there's more! (I feel like a commercial right now...)

Because in Matthew 5, He calls us to be the same. He calls us to be the salt and the light in the world.

We are the carriers of His presence.

We are the embodiment of His love.

We are His hands and feet, yes, and also His heart and compassion.

We are called to spread His presence and His love throughout the world - or, at the very least, through our circles of influence.

We may be the miracle someone else is waiting for.

That is what embodiment means.

And maybe that is just what the world needs.