We all have within us a dingy chamber
darkening the deep stone walls of our broken hearts
where behind the doubt encrusted bars
screams a familiar voice.

It screams louder than you can ignore
stronger than you can avoid
it is your voice
it is our voice

We are all wrapped up in a prison without a lock
and we scream
and we moan
and we scream again for
something
for more
for God.

We are all born broken people
with specifically aching hearts
needing God to
come closer.

We need more than myths, fables, and fairy tales
forcing God into a book
we need someone real.
We need more than philosophy.
Some god in outer-space
means nothing to us, so we all scream

come closer

So welcome!
you and your locked up voice,
come on in
Welcome to The Possibility of Closeness

We do not pursue
a generic god with our generic faith.
We will not be spiritual
in a generic way.
The Possibility of Closeness is not
whatever it means to you
it means to you

This will require a bit of faith
but faith is very simple, really.
It is nothing you muster up.

It is an operation of God
a divine illumination
whereby we stand on tipped toes
extending twitching fingers
for something we could never reach
and God makes it apprehendable
he makes it possible

Faith is learning to trust a God
giving promises he intends to keep
promises to hear your cries
promises to make possibilities of closeness

Today cannot be filed down
to farm animal figurines utop your fireplace mantle
Today is not the hope of shopping God closer
as if closeness to God tastes like
34th Street miracles and credit card debt

No, today is a celebration of an explosion
so silent it wouldn't wake the sleeping baby
it is the arresting eruption of the reality
God became flesh

So sssssssstop for a second and soak it up

God came close
as the skin and bone
Of your own
Forearm

God became flesh
So the Light of the World could
be seen as clearly
as you see me.

The possibility of Closeness is here

Not one of our words can contain his name
the message is too majestic for our methods
so he says
"Call me Jesus"
"Call me Immanuel"
God.With.Us


The Possibility of Closeness is nothing more than seeing Jesus
and responding to what you have seen


God showed up
to shepherds because he goes to those
who have time to listen
The possibility of closeness is only closed off
for those too busy to pay attention

God came close enough
to be breakable
to feel tired, weary, and fearing failure
to catch a cold and a case of hurt feelings
Your locked up voice will want to keep
God distantly divine
but don't you listen to that.

Let God be as human as he was because
if you do not let him in
he cannot get you out

The Possibility of Closeness seems
illogical and unreasonable because it is
Only God could love you
more than your ability
to understand it.

Christianity is not an ethic, morality or
philosophy of life
It is a love affair
the thrill and excitement of
being loved and falling in love
With Jesus Christ
born to bring us
closer to God

So today is for those who need God
to come closer because
Christmas IS

the possibility of closeness