One of the most curious tents I ever saw appeared on the grounds of Lawrence Sheriff School one Saturday morning. After being filled with air, it looked like a giant dimpled bouncy castle but bright white. It turned out to be a wedding reception venue. Trucks arrived, and the tent swallowed up wooden dance floors, tables, chairs, crockery, flowers, a buffet, the cake and all the other paraphernalia associated with weddings. Then the bride, groom and guests arrived in their finery. During the evening the tent glowed and pulsated red, blue, purple, yellow and green as we were treated to a loud disco which wasn’t silenced until the early hours.
Then the next morning, it was emptied, the air was let out and it was taken away - and on Monday the boys were back in school as if it nothing had happened.
That is the purpose of tents – they are not permanent – they have a time and a place – they meet a need and then they are taken down. But even the grandest of events can take place in them – a few metres of canvas, or nylon or even plastic can be transformed to a place of special celebration.
Just as tents are temporary dwellings. God made a temporary dwelling on earth when he came to live amongst us as Jesus. (Greek scholars can check the meaning of dwelling in the next extract!)
“The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only, who came from the father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 [NIV]
The nativity play that the older children at my school put on this year had a song which questioned why God came to earth in the humble way he did. I quote parts of it here:
Why choose a stable to welcome a king?
Why choose a bright star to shine down on Him?..
Why choose the shepherds to visit the King?
Why choose the lowly with nothing to bring?...
Why choose a young girl to mother a king?
Why choose a manger for laying Him in?..
The song ends:
“Is it too marvellous to understand
It was part of a heavenly plan?
It was part of a heavenly plan.”
[Words and Music by Mark & Helen Johnson, Out of the Ark music]
Jesus transformed our world and ourselves when he came to live among us as one of us. It was part of his plan.
Thank God that he came to live amongst us as one of us, and that he is with us always.
Mairi Mowbray
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