Some of the most beautiful and enduring buildings in the world, ancient and modern, are places of worship, built by human beings as an expression of their faith in divine beings. These buildings are scattered all over the world, indicating that faith in God is not a monopoly of a race, culture or civilization. They range from temples to cathedrals, from churches to chapels, from simple objects such as rib stones, the huge megaliths of Stonehenge in southern England, the monoliths on Easter Island or the pyramids in Egypt and in the Americas and the temples of Anchor Wat in Cambodia. The common thread running through all of them is that they reflect a human faith in the presence of divine beings.

Standing side by side with the castles on the continent of Europe, are cathedrals which defy time and the hostile elements of nature. Even today their grandeur and beauty mystify us. If these buildings and objects can be used as measurements of the character and nature of human beings, then it is undeniable that, we, humans are basically and incorrigibly religious.

The reading in the gospel this morning used a word which has a common background with the subject of these religious buildings - the Word lived among us or dwelt in a tent among us. Other versions put it in more Interesting language such as the word lived among us or "pitched his tent" among us. This word brings us back to the Old Testament when the Israelites on their wilderness journey during the early days of their return to Canaan, lived in tents and erected tabernacles for the purpose of worshipping God. Tents and tabernacles are temporary portable dwelling places that can be easily moved from place to place. Travellers going into new places often announce their arrival by putting up tents as temporary shelters or dwellings. Before humans thought of making permanent dwelling places, tents served their practical needs by providing a temporary place to stay, to rest and to sleep. Even today some people are still living in tents in some parts of the world, especially those we know as nomads. It is interesting that when John, the writer of the gospel, put into words the mystery of incarnation, he used this old term, "God tented among us", or "God built a tent and lived among us". Why?

Perhaps, John remembered that incident in the Old Testament when king David made a plan to build a temple, a more permanent, stronger and more impressive building for God. And God did not really approve David's original plan. Why? Here is the biblical account: "But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan saying: go and tell my servant David; thus says the Lord, you shall not built me a house to live in. For I have not lived in a house since the day I brought out Israel to this very day, but I have lived in a tent and tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about among all Israel did I ever speak a word with any of the judges of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd my people, saying, Why have you not build me a house of Cedar?" [1 Chronicles 17:1-6] Churches, temples or cathedrals are beautiful, stronger and more lasting than tents or tabernacles; on the other hand they can be confining, or can be imprisoning in character. We can consign or leave God in the temple and conduct our lives the way we want it outside of the temple. As long as God is safely and comfortably confined, locked inside our temples and churches, we can conduct our business as usual outside. What a convenient arrangement. Don't swear inside the church, this is a sacred place. You can do it outside. It's alright. Hence David's plan to build a temple for God was not approved by God at the beginning. God said, "I have lived and moved among my people in a tent and a tabernacle".

And when God decided to pitch his tent among us, to live among us, What did he use? The Word became flesh and lived among us. He used the human body as his tent, his dwelling place. What could be more portable, more convenient for God to move around and about his people than the human body. The writer John could not have put in better way, than saying he became flesh and lived among us. He pitched his tent, his tabernacle among us, and we have seen his glory. The God who was distant, majestic, aloft, unapproachable, totally distinct and different from us, now speaks and moves like a human being. This is what incarnation is; this is God Emmanuel, God with us.

But God is not yet finished with us; He is not yet done with us. Paul writing to the Christians in Corinth, made a deeper and wider application of this truth, God in the flesh, by saying you are the temple of God. "Do you not know that your body is the a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God and that you are not your own, . . . therefore glorify God in your body." [1 Corinthians 6:19, 20] God cannot be confined in our churches, temples and cathedrals, for they are works of our human hands. Our bodies, created and fashioned by no less than the mind and fingers of God are the ultimate dwelling of the Spirit of God. It is paradoxical that we spent so much time and energy arguing or quibbling about how to decorate, fix, beautify or build our churches and temples, but spend little time in making our bodies fit for God to make them his dwelling place. How come? We miss the point of it all. So, now we have to go back and realize that God has pitched his tent among us, in our bodies. As John wrote in John 1:14: " We have seen his glory, the glory as of the only son of the Father, therefore glorify God in your body, the temple of the living God".

Note: Don't have a Bible? By Clicking on the button below, you can open a new window in an Online Bible. By entering the BOOK and CHAPTER, you will be able to look up the references in the sermon. Copy and paste will work as long as there is no other words between the book name and chapter number. Try it and Enjoy!

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