The Spoils

John 3 For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son

We celebrated a very different Christmas Day this year. Ken and I drove north of Albuquerque to the Pueblo Indian Reservation to see my friend Sylvia dance with her tribe. Her people. Her family.

It is always moving for me to visit the Pueblo. It is an honor to be invited into their village. They are a beautiful people with strong Native American features. Proud. Friendly. Artistic. Dedicated to family.

There is also a sadness in me when I am there. What would their lives have been like if they had not been conquered by invaders of their homeland? What would this land look like if they were still the only ones here? I guess, as with everything else, there is good and bad in the answer. They have been introduced to modern conveniences that make life easier and more enjoyable and they also suffer modern casualties of war.

The phrase, To the victors go the spoils, comes to mind.

The contrast between man and God is astonishingly apparent to me in this circumstance.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.

We were conquered by love. Moved by His compassion. Brought to repentance by His mercy. He has loved us into relationship. Not by the force of His will, as is His right since He is our King, our creator, but by the giving of Himself He has won us. And in conquering our hearts He has given us His best. The best of life, the best of the life to come.

He did not come to us as a ravenous wolf seeking only to take what He could and leave us devastated. He came as vulnerability. In the form of a child. Naked. Without an army. Without guns or spear. He came without threat. To His own.

I wonder also what we would have looked like if He had left us to ourselves? What would our homes look like? What would our families look like if He had not chosen to ravish us with His love?

Psalm 100 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into His presence with singing! Know that the Lord, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His, we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name! For the Lord is GOOD; His steadfast LOVE endures forever, and His FAITHFULNESS to all generations.

Father bless those who have been conquered and be gracious to them. Help us to love our neighbors as You love us. With generosity, hospitality, graciousness, fairness and dignity. Thank You Father, as always, for setting the good example.