For God so loved the world that God traded in a heavenly throne for a smelly, straw bed. God turned in God’s crozier, which parted seas, created torrential rains, reduced flesh to salt, slayed giants with stones for a chance to be held safe in our arms, teaching authentic vulnerability. God gave up power, which impresses the powerless, and the greedy, for a chance to be held close to our breasts. God left the known for the unknown devotion of love shaped by crazy, stinking fisherman and assertive women, love shaped by the faithful and unfaithful. Like Joseph, we can believe this or not. We can believe that God, Emmanuel, Prince of Peace, came to be loved by us and to teach us how to love, or not. We can believe that God, Jesus the Christ, came to us, in flesh, died in love and lives with us, in Spirit or not. We can believe that God is present at this table or not. You can believe that God loves you this much or not. It’s not hard to master. With a little effort, most can learn it by heart!