News Flash: Covert Asset Dropped Behind Enemy Lines

A new action/comedy called 'Violent Night,' takes the traditional, gentle, jolly Santa image and incarnates it as Rambo to the rescue.

Haven't seen it but I'm intrigued with the way that Santa was not portrayed as meek and mild, but armed and dangerous... for good, mind you.

Much of the culture, including that of the church, could use such a recalibration about the birth of Jesus.

We sing of a quiet night - but in the spirit, it was a violent night - for the incarnation was an invasion behind enemy lines.

A HALO drop is a High Altitude: Low Opening technique used to covertly drop an asset behind enemy lines.

That was Jesus. Pre-existing time as The King of Kings through Whom all things were made and One with the Father - One cannot get any 'higher' than that.

But then born in the parking garage of a motel in backwater Bethlehem... Can't get any 'lower' on the opening than that.*

But what IS it like to take The Alpha and Omega and shrink Him into the frailty of a newborn?

How about this: A neutron star was a once massive star that collapsed down, down, down, and blew off all the size it once had.

It is only the diameter of Manhattan Island, but so dense that 1 teaspoon weighs 1 BILLION TONS.

Can't get your mind around that? Good. Now transfer that sense of awe and bewilderment to the birth of Jesus.

Recalibrate and re-engage your sense of wonder; your understanding of His invasion; and honor rightly the reason for this season.

Be as He is: Dangerous for good.

Ho, ho, ho! He's coming to town.

Stephen

*Kudos to Edwin McManus on the HALO concept.

Replay of this Deck teaching is on YouTube.

Replay of the entire Flight Deck is on Facebook.