My grandsons were here at my home last week. They were working diligently on one of their “projects.” And they told me I couldn’t see it until it was finished. I’ve attached photos of their scene, but it’s even better to hear their explanation. You see, my wife had given them these nutcrackers and when they set them out they noticed that one was a king, and the others – well, they decided they must be the wise men. The tinker-toy structure is the cattle shed. And to the far left of the panorama is what they describe as their masterpiece: a dark sky with a golden light shining down. When I saw this my heart was warmed, and I again understood how profound are the thoughts of children. You see, they understand the concept of Divine Paradox. And in fact, that they understand is a Divine Paradox of its own, isn’t it?

The idea of Divine Paradox has been written about over and over, but it continues to fascinate me. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a paradox as a statement or tenet contrary to received opinion or belief; often with the implication that it is marvelous or incredible. The Holy Scriptures are filled from Genesis to Revelation with examples of miracles that meet this definition. And no time is this more amazing to me than the Christmas narrative. Instead of a royal birth of a king – the KING – He came as a helpless human child. Instead of being born to a royal king and queen in a palace, He was born to a virgin in a cattle stall. Instead of being hailed at birth by His subjects, shepherds came to worship him. And instead of supreme announcements of His birth, a bright star brought light into the world.

I’ve come to believe the notion that God’s word is so replete with these because they are so incredible to us. If we had to make these decisions, I’m pretty certain I’d have done it differently. But wait…..look at all of those times in my life that I’ve done exactly that, acted on my own rather that depending on Him. Praise God for His Divine Paradox!

Michael Fleming