O Great Mystery

What a beautiful time of year it is! Yes, in part because of the lights, music, candles, parties, and cooler weather. But at the center of it all is the love of Creator God, spoken into the person of Yeshua of Nazareth.

In some traditional early morning Christmas masses, parishioners participate in the singing of O Magnum Mysterium, or O Great Mystery. This sacred text marvels at the beauty and, well, mystery of the Incarnation that occurred in the most humble of circumstances. The Incarnation, where the Almighty drifted through our atmosphere like winter snow, all the way down into the mud of our streets and stables.

This week, I was given a simple yet powerful look at this mystery. My wife, Erin, works with teens who have aged out of foster care. She founded a non-profit a few years ago that provides coaching and mentoring and housing for these kids, and it is her life’s calling. A few nights ago, after a very trying week of pouring herself into her work, she found herself waiting with a very troubled teen in the ER for eight hours. She was texting me about the sights and sounds of the brokenness that surrounded her there in the waiting room. The stress. The chaos. The neediness. And that is when it hit me.

My wife looked so much like Jesus to me right then. There she was, walking right into the waiting, the pain, the noise. Entering it for the sake of another. Why would she arrange her life so that this would be where she was on a Monday night in December? It’s the same deep mystery of the coming of our Savior, which can only begin to be understood by starting here: it was for love. For the love of another. For the love of the Father.

Glory to God in the highest for the great and beautiful mystery of Love incarnate.

Author: Benjamin NeSmith

Benjamin NeSmith has spent his life working with people. He put his social science education degree to use teaching students of all ages, including those with special needs, for over a decade. He spent years as a recording and performing musician and is now a Certified Professional Coach and Pastor at Element Church Tampa. Benjamin enjoys family time, hiking, interior design, and creating meaningful liturgical experiences for others.