"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life" (John 3:16).
Recently I stumbled upon an interesting astronomical survey. On November 12, 2001, more than 2000 respondents were asked to indicate their "favorite planet" within our solar system. By most estimates there are nine of them – and every one was mentioned, from Mercury to Pluto. I was amazed to discover, however, that only 38% prefer the Earth. A smallish but significant 6.1% answered, "I don’t much care for any of them." (See www.howstuffworks.com/survey386.htm).
The survey, I suppose, was unduly influenced by its proximity to September 11. The Earth is a fine place in many ways; since September, however, no one can remain naive about its dreadful potential for accommodating violent people and hosting vile deeds. The planet does not even object much. It will "hide" the violent in its caves without a bit of protest.
So maybe we can understand that 62% of our friends and neighbors prefer the bright moons of Jupiter, or the great rings of Saturn, etc. Our home world has seemed so grimy, lately. Wouldn’t it be fine to plan a holiday on Venus or a weekend excursion on Mars? No violence. No terrorists. (No humans, of course, either.) We can understand the attraction.
But I thought of Christmas. We humans, it is true, are incurably naive about everything human and earthly. That is why September 11 shocks us so. But not God. The Creator knows us, our planet, and our potential for great sin and violence completely. Osama bin Laden, even, cannot surprise him.
And still he came. Into the grimy mess, and hate-filled corners, and fear-wracked wastelands of our world, he came. He came to conquer sin by becoming sin, and swallowing it up forever. He came to bear our violence and endure our spite, and love us purely in return. He came for Osama, and Paco, and Linda, and Bob. Who would have thought it? Angels themselves "long to look" into events so stupendous (1 Peter 1:12). St. Peter infers that they can hardly believe it.
What is your favorite planet? Do you find yourself, sometimes, "not caring much" for any of them?
Remember Christmas. Christmas will cure us of our otherworldly imaginings. It is resolutely focused – indeed, since Bethlehem our entire Christian religion is focused – on the actual world that we wake to and live in, day-by-day. This is the world that God loves, enough to give up his Son. And he challenges us to join him in the adventure. Not on Neptune. But on your street in your town – right here on his favorite planet.
"The Way I See It", December 2001