At the church where I attend we have a monthly fellowship lunch that we affectionately call ROMEO. Retired Old Men Eating Out. There are not many who attend but the conversation is both rewarding and insightful. This Thursday one of the attendees pointed out that one of his growth goals is to find a new insight for each week of Advent. Two weeks have gone by and I wanted to share what he has learned.

First was simply that most of the characters of the bible story of advent were very ordinary. From the shepherds watching their sheep at night to right on to the star gazers from the nation of Persia. Mary and Joseph were very unassuming village folk forced to travel great distances to register for a census and along the way give birth to the savior of the world. The only one with any social status in the story was the inn keeper of the town of Bethlehem, and he could find no place in his upper status dwelling for a man and a woman that was great with child. God uses the most unlikely people to display the wonder of God’s world.

Secondly, my well educated attendee pointed out was the wonder that God would send a little baby to save the world. A single little individual with all the inherent characteristics of humanity including pain, disappointment, anger, resentment to come to this world and give himself for it even though they did not deserve it. As it says in Matthew 1:21 and speaking to Joseph. “you will call him ‘God Saves’ because He will save His people from their sins.

Remarkable that an ordinary yet divine human baby was destined to die for me to pay the price for my own stupidity.

Thanks Bill for sharing.