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Moving into the Neighbourhood

Now that we are into Advent and the Christmas season, here’s a reflection on incarnation – the reality that God has come, live and in the flesh, among us. The Gospel of John (in the Message version) says this about the coming of Jesus:

The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.
John 1:14

Jesus “moved into the neighborhood”… think about that for a moment!

Have you ever had a significant move? When my family was moving to Charlottetown it was an incredible amount of work, time, energy, money… I’m getting tired thinking about it! Although Jesus wasn’t carting around cardboard boxes His move nevertheless came at a high cost. A cost He bore in the cause of the mission of redeeming humanity and bringing people back to God.

What would it look like to move into your own neighbourhood? Not a physical move, but a mental shift. Entering into your life with a different perspective, for the purpose of sharing the life and love of Jesus with others.

Grocery store

For me personally this gets worked out in all kinds of ways, but a simple one is where I buy my groceries. There are a bunch of grocery stores relatively close to my house and at first I would go wherever was convenient. Over time I began to notice that whenever I went to one particular store I saw a lot of people I knew, so I decided that most of the time I would shop there. It’s a small decision, but it’s about living “in the neighbourhood” to encourage redemptive opportunities.

How can you live on mission with Jesus? What are you doing already? What could you begin today?