Because relationships matter most of all #12: the physical stuff matters

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5:1-12

Yesterday, we saw John circling back to the conversation about love and today we see him circling back again the incarnation. These are the burning issues for John. He’s reaching the end of this letter and is here summarising all he has said about the significance of Jesus’ life on earth.

I don’t have a lot to add to what has already been said. If you’ve been following this series, you, like me, will already have been reflecting on the incarnation over the last two weeks. If you’ve been a Christian for many years, you may have accepted the incarnation without giving it much thought – the familiarity of the concept may have taken the edge off just how mind-blowing it really is.

The son of God – God Himself – came to earth encased in a frail human body: a helpless, vulnerable baby, dependent on the provision and protection of helpless, vulnerable humans. He was fully human: he had blood running through his veins. He’s the only one and will always be the only one who was fully God and fully human. Oh, how I would have loved to meet him face to face! I can’t begin to imagine what that would have been like.

Brief interlude while I take my dogs for a walk in the rain and sit for breakfast with my husband.

And during that brief interlude, I was struck by this thought: the physical stuff really matters.

Jesus came as a human to connect with humans in human form. He ate with them, celebrated with them, fed them, healed them…the human physical stuff mattered to Jesus. What he did mattered as much as what he said. Human connection was Jesus’ way of showing God’s love in action.

I grew up in an environment where the body was simply considered a vehicle for the soul and the soul was all that mattered. Meeting people’s physical needs was always secondary to saving souls. Self care was considered an indulgence.

I’ve changed. Yoga has helped. The word ‘yoga’ comes from the Sanskrit word meaning ‘to unite’, because a practice like yoga can unite body and soul. Dance does it for me too. And mindful breathing and mindful movement.

Body and soul are equally important. It’s not about focusing on one or the other. It’s about seeing how they are interlinked and caring for both. How we treat our bodies and address our physical needs and how we treat the bodies of others and address their physical needs is an outworking of God at work in our souls, in the whole of our lives. A holistic approach to life is not all new age, weirdy stuff. It’s what God demonstrated through sending His son as a human to earth.

So hugs matter and eating together matters and sex matters and walking alongside someone matters and foodbanks matter and clean water for all matters and fresh air matters and exercise matters and laughter matters and healthy eating matters….

Jesus came to show God’s love in action in the physical stuff. Now it’s us to us to do the same.