The young man who married my granddaughter is quite tall. Standing several inches over six feet, he towers above me as I sit in my wheelchair. And Will likes to hug. Whenever he says his goodbyes to the family, he goes from person to person giving a big hug to each one before going out the door. When it’s my turn to be hugged, he does something different. He gets down on his knees! He comes down to my level. He does this so it is easier for me to reach him and hug him back. It’s very special to me.

Getting down on someone else’s level is a good thing. It helps us to connect with each other. We do this with children. As we physically get down on the floor to play with them, it enables us to interact with them and makes them feel important. Even if we don’t literally, physically go down to their level, we do it figuratively as we play their simple games, pretend with them, and use our imaginations. Children respond to the person who is willing to put themselves on their level. And so do I.

As we just finished celebrating the holiday season, I have been thinking about Christmas and what the birth of that baby in a manger really meant. How easily we read the Christmas story and quote the Scripture: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” But this was Jesus, the very Son of God, coming down to my level! He did it to reach me, and so I can respond to Him in return! How far did Jesus go to come down to my level? Way low! In order to reach me, He was made “lower than the angels”. He became one of us.

C. S. Lewis puts it well:

The Second Person in God, the Son, became human Himself: was born into the world as an actual man–a real man of particular height, with hair a particular colour, speaking a particular language, weighing so many stone [pounds]. The Eternal Being, who knows everything and who created the whole universe, became not only a man but (before that) a baby, and before that a foetus inside a Woman’s body. If you want to get the hang of it, think how you would like to become a slug or a crab. –from Mere Christianity

The Creator of the universe, the One who created us, became part of His creation! It’s amazing! It’s unfathomable, unbelievable! It’s a mystery. Why did He do it? Why would He lower Himself to this level?

He made himself nothing by taking on the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient unto death–even death on a cross! –Philippians 2:7-8(NIV)

Motivated by His love for us and in an effort to embrace us, to have a relationship with us, He didn’t just reach down, He came down! He came down to my level and I am so glad He did!

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