Why do we demand a God who speaks our language?
The Default Mode
We often treat God like a spiritual vending machine that must operate according to our user manual. We say, "I'll believe You're here if I feel a certain peace," or "I'll follow You if the path makes sense to me." We want the Messiah, but we want Him born in the city we choose, in the way we expect. This self-will creates a barrier of resistance that keeps us from ever actually encountering the living God.
The Carmelite Shift
The question we have to face is this: Are you seeking God on His terms, or are you trying to force Him to speak your language?
In the podcast, we see that "no one expected the Messiah to show up as a baby." The religious experts of the time thought their theology was correct in its political manifestation, but their expectations were wrong. They missed the manifestation because it didn't look like power. We do the same. We ignore the "starlight" because it isn't a spotlight.
Real assent, which is moving from learning to living, requires us to drop our self-imposed conditions. It means accepting that the Redeemer has arrived to save us from death, even if He arrives in the form of a quiet nudge, a difficult neighbor, or a silent prayer session. If the Incarnation proves anything, it's that God's ways are not our ways. Are you willing to follow a star that leads somewhere you didn't plan to go?
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