J.B. Phillips, "The Christian Year," from Good News: Thoughts on God and Man, 1963, The Macmillan Co., New York.
"By far the most important and significant event in the whole course of human history will be celebrated, with or without understanding, at the end of the season, Advent. The towering miracle of God's visit to the planet on which we live will be glossed over, brushed aside or rendered impotent by over-familiarity. Even by the believer the full weight of the event is not always appreciated. His faith is in Jesus Christ- he believes with all his heart that this man, who lived and died and rose again in Palestine, was truly the Son of God. He may have, in addition, some working experience that the man Jesus is still alive, and yet be largely unaware of the intense meaning of what he believes.
Does he, for instance, as he daily treads the surface of this planet, reflect with confidence that "my God has been here, here on this earth"? Does he keep his faith wrapped in a napkin as a precious thing and apart; or does he allow every discovery of the truth to enlarge his conception of the God behind this immensely complex universe? And does he then marvel and adore the infinite wisdom and power, which so humbly descends to human stature?
We rejoice in the fact that God has actually been here- and that is the meaning of advent."
"By far the most important and significant event in the whole course of human history will be celebrated, with or without understanding, at the end of the season, Advent. The towering miracle of God's visit to the planet on which we live will be glossed over, brushed aside or rendered impotent by over-familiarity. Even by the believer the full weight of the event is not always appreciated. His faith is in Jesus Christ- he believes with all his heart that this man, who lived and died and rose again in Palestine, was truly the Son of God. He may have, in addition, some working experience that the man Jesus is still alive, and yet be largely unaware of the intense meaning of what he believes.
Does he, for instance, as he daily treads the surface of this planet, reflect with confidence that "my God has been here, here on this earth"? Does he keep his faith wrapped in a napkin as a precious thing and apart; or does he allow every discovery of the truth to enlarge his conception of the God behind this immensely complex universe? And does he then marvel and adore the infinite wisdom and power, which so humbly descends to human stature?
We rejoice in the fact that God has actually been here- and that is the meaning of advent."