The Word became flesh and made his home among us. — John 1:14a
Just then, Jesus’ disciples arrived and were shocked that he was talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?” — John 4:27
My earliest understanding of Jesus was “vertical.” He came “down” and intervened in our lives. It’s summarized in “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…”
But he didn’t just come down to give us secret knowledge to save us from a dark world. He didn’t come down to reduce our faith to creeds and rituals that can built up walls between people.
He came down and “made his home” among us. He lived fully and humanly with all sorts of people. Those people never saw a holy glow around him but rather someone intensely interested in them.
The older I get, the more I appreciate this “horizontal” Jesus. He related so openly to others, such as to the Samaritan woman in John 4. It’s as if that’s a model for us, if we were to really expand our faith and discipleship. The more people I encounter, the wider my eyes are opened. The more diverse those people are, the more colorful and rich the world becomes. Their stories help me live with deeper understanding and compassion. They give direction to how I should live as a follower of Jesus today. And in the process, I continue being amazed at the wisdom and love of the one I call the “Son of God,” vertically and horizontally.