emmanuel - god with us

There are so many names for God that I love to hear, but I have to say that my favorite is Emmanuel which means "God with us." I love Christmas time because we hear this name referenced most often during this season, in which we celebrate the act of God coming down to earth to be "with us." I was reading a book by John Ortberg, and he presents the story of the incarnation as being very costly to God, yet at the same time it was a sacrifice that took place because of His deep love for people. Here is an excerpt from this book. "Father Damien was a priest who became famous for his willingness to serve lepers. He moved to Kalawao, a village on the island of Molokai in Hawaii that had been quarantined to serve as a leper colony. For sixteen years he lived in their midst. He learned to speak their language. He bandaged their wounds, embraced the bodies no one else would touch, preached to hearts that would otherwise been left alone. He organized schools, bands, and choirs. He built homes so that the lepers could have shelter. He built two thousand coffins by hand so that when they died, they could be buried with dignity. Slowly, it was said, Kalawao became a place to live rather than a place to die, for Father Damien offered hope. Father Damien was not careful about keeping his distance. He did nothing to separate himself from his people. He dipped his fingers in the the poi bowl along with the patients. He shared his pipe. He did not always wash his hands after bandaging open sores. He got close. For this the people loved him. Then one day he stood up and began his sermon with two words: "We lepers..." Now he wasn't just about helping them. Now he was one of them. From this day forward he wasn't just on their island; he was in their skin. First he had chosen to live as they lived; now he would die as they died. Now they were in it together. One day God came to earth and began his message: "We lepers..." Now He wasn't just helping us. Now He was one of us. Now He was in our skin." This is the Christmas story.