On the Incarnation

Tobi Shotayo
2 min readDec 31, 2024

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Image by the author

We humans have a tendency to forget things and lose sight of what is important. It is this tendency that leads us to commemorate significant events, to etch deep into our consciousness the significance of those events so we never forget what happened and why. These commemorations also serve as opportunities to teach subsequent generations about their importance.

However, this practice poses another challenge: as time passes, subsequent generations tend to lose appreciation for why these events matter, even if they maintain the celebrations. Thus, we must consciously remind ourselves why we celebrate and why these events are important.

This is especially important for a holiday like Christmas. While Christmas has come to be associated with love, gift-giving, and family gatherings—all valuable aspects—these are not its primary significance.

Christmas commemorates the birth of Christ. This event is significant because in Christianity, Christ is God. Christmas celebrates the incarnation, when the infinite one clothed himself in finiteness, the omnipotent one became weak, and the Almighty God became a vulnerable baby.

This paradox lies at the heart of Christianity and Christmas, making it profoundly important—something we must never lose sight of amid the celebrations and feasting.

The true Christmas miracle is that the impossible became possible. The real Christmas message is that God has come to save humanity.

This paradox has many implications. A significant one, considering what would eventually happen to the baby whose birth we commemorate, is that God took on our frailties and understands human experience—what it means to suffer, to be happy, to be sad, to trust.

This reality should inspire confidence. No matter what kind of year you've had, God understands your experience, and you can approach Him.

Therefore, as you celebrate—whether with family and abundant food, alone in scarcity, or wondering if there's anything worth celebrating—remember that God's presence among us is both the reason and enablement for our celebration.

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Tobi Shotayo
Tobi Shotayo

Written by Tobi Shotayo

I invite you to see the world through my eyes.

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