Once in a while, or many a time we all do stumble upon our human nature. That is, the real me. Put simply, we do certain actions which we regret later. For some, it might be anger, lies or covetousness, for others it could be lust or jealousy. Whatever it might be, it is a symptom of a fallen human race. The condition of a sick, impoverished, corrupted mankind. The condition best described in the book of Isaiah.

 “Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted. From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil.”

This is  God’s verdict on the mankind created once for the Glory of God, in His own nature, in His own image.

And the continuation is the story of Christmas. The love story of a love sick father who proved to the world that he could go to any extent to redeem what could belong only to him.

Thinking about the love God the Father showed us through Christ his Son, I have only one response to it, and that is bafflement. For I know deep inside my heart that nothing good dwells in me, that is in my sinful nature, neither I could stand and face him based on my hereditary righteousness as such of any existed.

 With no such open basis for the need of saving me,  He had chosen you and me long before the creation of this cosmos and had called us by name and had showered the maximum love that could ever be showered. When we go before him in prayers we don’t meet an imposing or a commanding King, even though he is the King of Kings. Rather I meet a high priest who recognizes my weaknesses and shows me a way to be out of it.

We don’t worship Him without a reason, even though reason would itself exhaust in His unreasonable love, He has given all that He ever had. The Father, Son  and the Holy Spirit. The least I can do is to love Him back, a bit today, possibly a bit more tomorrow till the imperfect disappears and the perfect appears.

While many yearn to have a happy, peaceful and a rich life, I will show you the ideal life. The life of Christ.

He did not live for himself. He did not have properties in his name although the earth belonged to Him. He lived on every word that proceeded from the mouth of God. He had no ambitions or a goal apart from fulfilling the will of God. In him was the sign of true manhood, who had exchanged his very nature with sinners so that we could be the partakers of divine nature. A nature fit for angels and God. Righteousness, peace, joy and freedom to a man filled with regrets, shame, sorrow and wretchedness. Beggars to an heavenly feast with an eternal lamb.

This poem was written by my colleague. And is based on true incident.

“This morning I woke up with a voice that didn’t leave me until I responded. I was confronted by my own true self. May be everyone of us is going to hear that voice sooner or later, and its better we be prepared for it. I penned down these words after reaching my office. May it lead you to re-dedicate your commitment to the Lord. 

Do you love me?

Nothing has changed, routine still remained,

Woke up from my bed, a voice within me hailed;

I couldn’t but think, at what God wanted me to see,

A voice from within said, ‘Do you love me?’

Every day I start with a prayer, honest but never formal,

‘Lord I need You, I love You’, and for many it’s quite normal;

But this morning, strangely, I felt I had a lock without a key,

And the voice echoed once more, ‘Do you love me?’

My mind ran back, to where it must always do,

Our Lord asked Peter, these same words thrice, and yet He wasn’t through;

I foolishly thought, ‘Thank God it was only for Peter, and that I was free!’

And Lo the voice returned to my heart, ‘Do you love me?’

This time, I determined to know where I got it from and where I went wrong,

Tried to evade my guilty conscience with an empty song;

However hard I tried, but still I failed as the thought couldn’t flee,

I was sure now, and it was the Lord who was asking, ‘Do you love me?’

Peter asked Ananias, ‘Is that all you have for the Lord?’

‘Yes’, said He, holding back something, which He thought could never afford;

He told a lie, he reaped death, he dint give his all, and without one plea,

Now I knew what the voice meant when it asked, ‘Do you love me?’

Our Lord has loved us with all His heart, mind and soul,

And all that we have are meant to be His, as a whole;

In Giving, He has given His all, Father, Son and the Spirit three,

I finally got the meaning of ‘Do you love me?’!!!”

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9 : 6)

Happy Christmas.