"ONE by ONE the Word is made flesh" by the Rev. Mike Kinman

"And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us ... full of grace and truth." (John 1:14)

For we as Christians, the Word is not a static thing, but a living thing. The Word is living, breathing, loving ... even dying so that we might have life.

The Word is not past but present.

The Word is not passive but ACTIVE.

In Advent, we also remember that the incarnation of the Word was not a one-time historical event, but a process. When we pray "Thy Kingdom Come," we ask God to use us as a part of that process. That just as the Word was incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth, the Word might be made flesh in us.

That's what movements like Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation and ONE Episcopalian are about. They're about the Word being made flesh in us. About God speaking that Word through our voices, knowing when God does that, the Word will be what it was on that night in Bethlehem so many years before -- Good News for the poor, release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, the oppressed set free, the year of Jubilee. (Luke 4:18-19)

The above video shows that the Word is being made flesh ... and the message is getting through. Presidential candidates from both parties are hearing your voice, and through your voice are hearing the voices of the billions who live in extreme poverty -- voices that would otherwise be drowned out by other concerns.

For we as Christians, Advent begins a new year ... and what a new year this will be. We will elect a leader for our nation for the next four years -- and no matter your party affiliation, it is your opportunity to make sure who sits in that chair has the same people on his or her heart that Jesus had on his ... the poor.

Jesus reminds us that it is not up to us to be eloquent when we go into the halls of power ... God will give us the Word and the words ... but it is up to us to show up. (Matthew 10:16-20).

Because in this day, One by One, we are the flesh the Word becomes.

For more information on What One Person Can Do to bring the Millennium Development Goals front and center in the 2008 elections, go to the EGR advocacy page, as well as the websites for ONE Episcopalian, the ONE Campaign and ONE Vote '08.