There is a particularity about the incarnation, about Christmas, which is offensive.
We tend to take it for granted. We are by nature egocentric, anthropocentric, and even jingoistic (need another word for culturally centred).

But we are changing. Perhaps with a new form of imperialism; take care; But there is an awareness of the whole world. A healthy awareness which comes from looking at our speck of dust from outer space.

But Christmas. It was particular. "Why did you choose such a strange place
and such a strange time?" There is an ambiguity; a conflict; between this particularity and the universality of God. It is reflected in the gospels. 'No-one comes to the Father except by me.' 'there are other sheep in this fold.' 'at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow.' 'God so loved the world.' 'Christ died for all'. even those who do not know him.

So what is this particularity of Christmas all about? Passion. A Passionate God. Passion for the creation leads to the incarnation, which led inevitably to the crucifixion.

Advent.
At Adelong last year I was always getting the word wrong. I didn't say Christmas, I said Easter. Don't lose sight of Easter in the glitz and tinsel of Christmas. Last week at retreat: I was asked to read the Song of Songs. And I found the verse near the end
'For love is as strong as death; passion fierce as the grave.
It's flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame.'
This led me to a Passionate God. The Passion for the creation that led to the incarnation and then, to the Passion itself.

Led from birth (and the scandal of particularity) to death. But then through that.
Love as strong as death; passion fierce as the grave. Passion that fiercely flamed back into life at the Resurrection, and the Passion that was Pentecost.

This is a passion that calls us to respond; that calls us into a passionate life,
a passionate embrace with life. Fire in passion.
"We are the Bearers of Fire for a society that no longer knows how to light it" (Morris West)

"The Seraphim are practically beings of fire. They chant the 'Holy Holy Holy' and are incinerated at the first Holy." (Annie Dillard)

A passionate embrace with life. Is this what is wanted of us? Is this the response that is called for by our worship, in our worship? What is your passion? Your computer, or Internet, certain books, your study, garden, flowers, family, music, work.

Where are you most alive? Sex is a powerful life giving passion.

Don't get me wrong. The new song today says "To live that all you do may stand the light of day." What do we do with that? Be careful if it means shriveling up.
(Ask Trish to mime shriveling up, with fig leaf stance, dying.)

We tend to place inappropriate limits on ourselves, or hear the church placing limits that restrict, not enable. Limits, boundaries, rules, are appropriate and necessary to help us to know if an action dehumanises or harms other people or any part of the creation.
We can place limits on ourselves that stifle. And worse, the church (or other social institutions) can place limits that are totally inappropriate and can consign a whole group to hell.

We do it so easily by labeling people. Race or sexual preference becomes more important than personhood.
We can deny a person their very humanity, not really like us.

Our enemies carry labels, 'gook, Tommy, Hun, Tutsi,' and our enemy can be killed. They are labeled Jew and can be consigned to the ovens, to the fire. What label did Pol Pot use? Was simply 'Non-communist' enough?

Today is World Aids Day. A scourge, especially in Africa and increasingly in South East Asia, that affects many different kinds of people. But in our society, one group in particular. Personally, I don't want to be labeled by my sexuality, whatever that may be.

"To live that all you do may stand the light of day."

I don't think that God is the 'great voyeur', so we should perhaps say
"To live so that your life is enhanced, passionate, creative;
to live so that you do not diminish or belittle another;
to live so that your life is a blessing,
a passionate blessing to the creation,
and enhances those around you;
releases and encourages creativity, humanness.

It may be just a smile at the right time, a word of encouragement, curbing a critical comment, finding a way to challenge without being judgmental or destructively critical.

This advent, consider how to respond to a passionate God. How is your energy released; where are your passions? Separate passions from addictions. Addictions cover up hurts and enable us to hide. Passions expose the deepest emotions. Deep grief and anger as well as creativity. Grief is the price we pay for love. But know if your grief has also taken away your passion. It can. If it has, seek healing, through friends and through doctors, or medical people.

Advent is a time to take stock, to be prepared. To know yourself. Notice, not to judge yourself, that's God's job. But know yourself and perhaps do some housekeeping, or maintenance. Mostly of course, we leave that to Lent.
But now, just before Christmas, how about some nurture. Release your passion,
respond to a passionate God. Perhaps reflect on a time of passion in your life and how you might use that kind of experience in your relation with God.
Don't be frightened of your anger, but do be very wary of sharp criticism, of judgment. And here we hit an ambiguity. It is God who judges, not us.
[and by the way the word is judgment, not condemnation. The potential for condemnation may very well be there but we cannot know if it is used.]
And yet for our own integrity we need to have our own standards, our own barriers
Make them life giving, not restrictive. License is not freedom. Responsible freedom enables you to live as fully as possible.

It's World Aids Day today. In Australia, safe sex, needle exchanges, and rigorous blood bank standards, are part of our response to Aids and HIV. I gather condoms are still not provided for prisoners. But then gaols are not known as particularly life giving institutions.

Allowing communal expression of grief and the (AIDS) quilt are another side of our response.

Today I challenge you to respond to a passionate God with passion. God gives us great freedom. Use it responsibly, but don't deny it to others.

I leave you with a paradox. God loves this world passionately.
"And God saw all that God had made, and behold it was very good."
The passion was so great that God took the risk, the huge risk of becoming part of the creation; of being born a tiny child. 'in such a strange place at such a strange time.' One person, in one tiny country. The scandal of particularity. It scandalises us.
Many people have never even heard of Jesus. Perhaps an impetus to evangelism, but also something more. An impetus to love; to knowing the great love of God, who loved the world so much. There is a universality in God's love.

At Christmas we touch the scandal of God being so limited, so particular. Only just one human person, so small in comparison to the whole creation. At Easter, we are scandalised yet again, in the 'Christ died for all', so that 'at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow.' 'God so loved the world.'

Work hard this Advent. Polish up your passions so that by Christmas you can come out and be as passionate and creative and loving as you can be.

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