The Road

The movement Jesus started is shaped by grace. It's the same grace that each of us has received and which we are called to share.

Jesus reverses age-old beliefs that those who live ideal lives must necessarily be blessed by God, and those who suffer must be cursed. Instead, Jesus speaks a word of both comfort and challenge that each of us must hear.

The word disciple in Greek means student. Learner. At its core, that's what it means to be a follower of Jesus: being a disciple leads us to learn and then serve and help others.

The movement Jesus started is shaped by grace, trust and generosity–of serving those beyond ourselves. It's the path of altruism. It's a path that some will scoff at. Each of us is prone to do the same. But, Jesus calls us to another way of being.

Jesus returns to his hometown to give his inaugural speech at the start of his ministry. In it he shares his mission focus of bringing good news for the poor and oppressed. How will the people of his time and our time receive it?

At the wedding in Cana, Jesus puts aside his divine ideals for using his miraculous powers to serve a couple in need. In doing so, he shows what being truly present and vulnerable as God incarnate looks like when seeking to truly love others.

In Jesus' baptism, we see something essential to his identity and character. He is a beloved Son of God. He doesn't claim that gift for himself alone, but shares it with us and calls us to share it with everyone. This love and grace is the origin of the Christian movement.

The visit of the magi honors the newborn king and invites us to see Jesus as a different model of a king, who uses his authority with humility, grace and love.

The story of Christmas is a transcendent moment of simple beauty and joy. In the birth of Jesus, the hopes and realities of the world are held together within the peace and redemptive love of God.

Mary's song sets the stage for Christmas and foreshadows the mission and heart of Jesus, extending hope to the lowly.