No wonder so many of us are wounded and limping, unable to gain traction in our spiritual journeys. With an over-valuing of speculative theology that ascribes God characteristics which keep God distant – immutability, omniscience, omnipotence, impassibility, and the like, it’s no wonder we are running ourselves ragged with our performative religion to please this God-Above-Us. When we perform our religion, it allows us to stay in control. We speak of grace out of one side of our mouth, and sneakily work to earn God’s approval out of the other.  

But when we discover what incarnation means – the vulnerability of exposure, the intimacy, the depth of Divine understanding that comes from God-With-Us – we realize how sad, unnecessary, and paltry are our performances. When the curtain is pulled back and we stare into reality – which is that God defines reality and God’s-Being-As-Love is that definition – it all comes to a screeching halt.