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December 23 Matthew 1:23 & Hebrews 2:11 How Close Is God wi Us? Don J. Payne, PhD Associate Professor of Theology and Christian Formation I f only you knew my past." "God knows your every thought and every secret. You can't hide." "Sometimes I wonder why God puts up with me." Have you ever had these thoughts or heard these words uttered? Each of these statements may grasp a piece of truth, such as the fact that God knows and sees all. Yet, each can be misconstrued in crippling ways if we miss a vital starting point. God was not ashamed to enter our broken space and make camp with us. He beckons us to Himself after first coming our way. He found us where we were—helpless, longing, broken, guilty, shameful. When we open ourselves to Him in faith, we find that He knows our past, our secrets, our thoughts, and our failings much better than we do. Yet, He is not ashamed of us. God is fully present to us because Jesus moved completely into the darkness of the human situation (and my situation and your situation). e congregations of my childhood gave public altar calls after every worship service. Among the favorite altar call hymns was "Just As I Am," by 19th century hymn writer Charlotte Elliott. Most verses speak of Christ's atoning sacrifice for our sins as the exclusive basis for God's acceptance of us. We never connect that hymn with the history-altering events of Advent and Christmas, but its core sentiment fits beautifully. We come to God without any pretense of making ourselves presentable or acceptable. Perhaps Elliott should have written just one more verse to capture how God makes the first move in the Incarnation. So, here's my Christmas verse (adaptation) of that classic: Just as I am and oft ashamed, that You, O God, would know my blame, Yet, you saw fit to come my way, O Lamb of God, I come, I come. e Incarnation gives the stunning backdrop to our salvation. He knows it all and was not ashamed to make the first move into our stories—yours and mine. We come to Him knowing that He knows, knowing that He is not ashamed to put His arm around us as siblings. 18