A Mini-Incarnation of Love

     Recently, I had took the opportunity to read much of Ilia Delio’s writings. As both a scientist and theologian, Delio brings an unusual perspective to the task of making sense of our faith in this increasingly technological world. I have spent some time with her and find her fascinating to listen to her describe the questions and concerns of the young people she teaches at Villanova, while at the same time trying to live as a Franciscan Sister in the 21st century.

    I appreciate how she challenges me, since I also spend my time teaching young people in a college setting. I am very aware that my college requires students to take classes in the sciences. I am also aware of the kinds of things they will be taught in some of those classes. I know that too much of the faith tradition within Christianity is content with theologies from a pre-science time long ago. That does not make those theologies wrong, but it does mean they often seem dated and inadequate. I also now to suggest something like this can be tricky. There is still too much faith versus science in this country.

    Evolution is a presupposition for Delio as she does theology. Any serious contemporary theology has to do this, too. That fact affects the way we have to think about God, human nature, creation and how God is involved in the world. It does not mean we given up on any notion of God creating the world, but we have to understand creation from this evolutionary perspective. Again, I recognize some people of faith have serious questions about this approach, but that should not deter us from the theological task ahead of us.

    I am helped when Delio affirms for her the biblical assertion that God is love. So let’s begin there. Let’s call that a bedrock theological truth for us. Obviously, an atheist will not believe it, but it is a core truth for us. Love describes both who God is and how God works in our world. If we think about God involved evolving the world we have, then we have to see evolution as love at work. Clearly, that would take a whole book to explore the details. We can only add one more important piece here.

    If humans are part of the created, evolving world, then we, too, are products of the loving God at work. I can still square this with the creation account in Genesis if I don’t read that text literally. I have no problem doing that. This is how much of literature is to be read. This is true especially of poetry. Hence, I can say that you and I have been loved into being. Furthermore, that love sustains us in our being---our lives. That means my sense of being independent, self-sufficient is an illusion.

    Having talked briefly about God and humans, we recognize we have set the stage for the key Christian theological statement, namely, that God became human. We call that person Jesus, who is affirmed to be the Christ, Lord, etc. Sometimes Jesus is portrayed as so different than normal human beings, it makes it difficult to relate to him. It is at this juncture Delio offers a perspective that I find intriguing and promising.

    Without minimizing Jesus, Delio then adds this note. “Each of us is a little word of the Word of God, a mini-incarnation of divine love. The journey inward requires surrender to this mystery in our lives, and this means letting go of our ‘control buttons.’” She is not saying here that we are the same as Jesus. It is more like, “in addition to Jesus,” we also are little words of the Word of God. And I very much like the notion of us becoming mini-incarnations. That says to me somehow God has come into me, somewhat like God became human in Jesus. That will take much more explaining and elaboration---beyond what is capable here.

    What I want to explain now is to acknowledge that humans have to become aware of the Spirit which comes into them. In Delio’s words, it requires a “inward journey.” To begin the inward journey is a quest for and response to the work of God coming into us---making us mini-incarnations. To undertake this inward journey will also require that we surrender to the mystery at work in us. Surrender is not a welcome word to most Americans. In fact, most of us are ready to fight instead of surrender. This is true, even in a spiritual sense.

    Delio insightfully suggests that much of our fight against any form of mystery at work in us is for us to maintain self-control. If I am in control of myself, then I am in charge. We see this in the ego expressions in our culture. The ego stands for the “I.” I think about how often I use possessive pronouns. Frequently, I talk about “my and “mine.” I want to be alert to the potential trouble in this language and the perspective of the language.

    There is much development to be done in this theological thinking, but I prefer to close by pointing out the practical implications. If you and I are mini-incarnations of the God who is love, then our primary job in the world is to be loving and do loving actions. In effect, we are God at work in the world. We are God’s loving instruments. To be sure, Jesus showed us the way. He was bold, radical and even go against mainstream Roman culture to do God’s loving work. We must be ready to do that, too.

    It is not an ego trip; it is a spiritual adventure. As a mini-incarnation of God’s love, we are at the forefront of love’s evolution in the world. Sometimes it might even be revolution!