Incarnation

The length of the journey become part of the gift,
beauty lying in discovery.
The privileges of deity exchanged
to take the status of a slave;
coming from heaven as helpless babe,
equality left with God.
Artist as self-portrait, creator as creation;
I and Thou, God and man
dying each other’s life,
living each other’s death,
descending into danger, depression,
despair, dismay, distress,
hopelessness, loneliness, homelessness.
Gift, come down to share our plight,
lift us into your love and light.

Flesh knowing what spirit knows.
Forgiveness in flesh,
the loss of life for the saving of life -
others he saved, himself he could not save -
life given that we might live, exchange.
I live as Christ lives in me,
his nature received as he took mine,
the burden of oppressive evil borne in God.
Burdens become light
in the exchange of burdens,
trespasses forgiven as we forgive.
The wealth of self
as the health of self exchanged.
Not Thou, yet Thou;
I and Thou exchanged, changed.
The length of the journey become part of the gift,
beauty lying in discovery.

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Mavis Staples - You Are Not Alone.