“The Word became fully human and became one of us . . . full of grace and truth.” John 1

What are you afraid of?

What does it mean to be human?

I’m afraid of AI.  Recently my son-in-law and me were talking about it.  He works in the world of computer tech and is quite smart about these things.  I’m not.  So he “schooled” me in the realities and possibilities of AI.  And it frightened me.  A lot.  This is the new nuclear threat to humanity.  This technology could not only replace humans, it could also erase humans. 

On the one hand AI does everything that people can do.  It represents everything that people—especially in the west—value most; productivity, efficiency, and yes, intelligence.  But here’s the rub:  that’s not what it means to be human.  Just as knowing the Bible does not mean we know, or are known by God, so too being smart or having a high IQ doesn’t define our humanity. So what DOES it mean to be human?  How would you answer that?

Here is where The Incarnation not only helps, but becomes indispensable.  The Gospel of John doesn’t have a Christmas story like Luke or Matthew.  But it does address the mystery of Christmas, which is The God of all Gods and God over all creation becoming fully human.  He is, in the words of John, full of grace and truth.  Two qualities that perhaps many humans don’t value, but are indispensable and unique to being human nonetheless.  AI can’t replicate those human qualities.  Consider for a moment how precious grace and truth are in your life. What a gift! If that is all that The Christ brought to humanity from being God it would be enough.  But being fully human goes beyond this . . . FAR beyond this.

Being human means having a Spirit.  This One is conceived by The Spirit—the Virgin birth.  The same Spirit that brings about life in the first creation brings forth life in the womb of Mary for the purpose of the full and final re-creation.  Christ is the embodiment of Spirit.  And after the resurrection Jesus breathes on His disciples the gift of the Holy Spirit.  It is that spirit that vivifies human beings, and makes us different from machines.

Being human means having empathy and compassion.  Those flow from grace.  Granted, the history of humanity is one replete with examples of the lack of empathy and compassion.  We see the tragic results paraded in front of us daily, not only on the world stage, but in our own life productions we are responsible for.  Nonetheless, we also are vessels of these unique human qualities, which during this time of year are on fully display as humans give to one another.  Sometimes those compassionate qualities are hidden, like God in the child, which makes them even more precious.

And there’s also kindness and generosity and forgiveness and of course, love.  That most elusive of all human qualities, that can’t be created or programmed.  Love that is uniquely found in the repository of the human heart.  Love that can’t be quantified, bought, or built.  Love that can’t even be defined.  But love CAN be seen.  And it is seen most clearly in the Christ.  Love is what caused the incarnation, what made Christ not only fully human, but maybe super human in that His love is divine, and goes beyond our own human capabilities to comprehend or copy.  And that is why His love must be a gift that is received and embraced not by our intellect, but in the deepest parts of what makes us fully human.  That is the gift of Christmas!