The Descending Way

Here is a selection from today’s lenten reading by Henri Nouwen.

“The love of God has become visible in Jesus. How is that love made visible through Jesus? It is made visible in the descending way. That is the great mystery of the Incarnation. God has descended to us human beings to become a human being with us; and once among us, descended to the total dereliction of one condemned to death. ... God’s way can be grasped only in prayer. The more you listen to God speaking with you, the sooner you will hear that voice inviting you to follow the way of Jesus. For Jesus’ way is God’s way and God’s way is not for Jesus only but for everyone who is truly seeking God. Here we come up against the hard truth that the descending way of Jesus is also for us to find God. Jesus doesn’t hesitate for a moment to make that clear.”

What strikes me about the Incarnation is that Jesus did not simply become human but the lowest of humans. Jesus is not only the meeting point for God and people but He is the meeting point for God and any person. In Him all people can find God because He has descended low enough to reach everyone. If Jesus only descended to the position of an earthly king, than He would have saved kings but not beggars and lepers. He descended all the way, emptied Himself, so we could be filled with God. We are called to this descending way. We are called to this incarnational life. To be close to God is to be close to Jesus. Where is Jesus? He is rejected by all, without home, being murdered by enemies and betrayed by friends. That is where you meet Him – on the descending way.