A Prayer

Lord Jesus, we come to You in this moment because of what we know about You. You are our Savior and our Lord. You have risen from the dead and now sit at the right hand of the Father. And one day You will return to judge the quick and the dead.

But there are so many things about You that we don't know, things that are true about You because You're a man.

What was it like to grow up in Nazareth? Did You get along with Your brothers and sisters? Did You ever have a crush on one of the girls in Your village?

We don't hear much about Joseph after the stories about Your birth. We're guessing that he died by the time You were an adult. How did that make You feel? He wasn't Your biological father, but he did love You as a father. You must have grieved quite a bit.

Are You more of an introvert or an extrovert? What made You laugh? Are there things that make You laugh now?

What do You look like? We're guessing that it isn't like so many of the Bible story books picture You, 6' 1" 185 pounds - you know, the ideal fit and trim American male. You're probably just a short Jewish guy.

Did You have a favorite meal that Mary made for You? Did it hurt not to be married? What did it feel like when You saw them coming to arrest You knowing that they were going to torture You? What's it like to rule the world?

We understand pretty well that You are God in the flesh. That was something that our spiritual forefathers needed to fight for in the recent past. So, we've got that. It's a point of orthodoxy we insist on. But we don't have the same sense that You are a man, a human being who is just like us. It would be good for us to know better that aspect of who You are. That would make our religion more personal. It would be clearer that we are following a person and not just some rules and doctrines.

So, please, help us to see that You really are one of us. Help us to understand Your humanity better. Make it clear not just to our minds but also to our hearts that You really do understand what we face here since You faced the same sorts of things when You were here.

It's good to know that these questions of ours will be answered. We are going to know what makes You laugh and what Your favorite meal is and exactly how tall You actually are. We're going to hear stories about Your growing up and all the little conversations You had that the Gospels have left out. We're going to get to know all of these things and more when we finally see You, in the flesh, in the age to come. That's something that we are looking forward to, to finally see You, Jesus, our Savior, our Lord and our Friend. Amen.