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For more commentary on this week's readings, see the Reflections on the Lectionary page. For full-text access to all articles, subscribe to the Century.
Christmas begs for a story and not a theological treatise, but the story is scandalous because of its specificity, and that calls for theological reflection. As the story is told, God became this and not that. God took male shape and not female shape. God appeared as a Hebrew and not a Native American. God chose to be poor, vulnerable, and tossed aside—not middle class, powerful, and safe. An orthodox understanding of the mystery of the incarnation invites something more than just the story.
