In-carn-ation-al

What does it mean for us today?

“And that is the wonder of all wonders that God loves the lowly…. God is not ashamed of the lowliness of human beings. God marches right in. He chooses people as his instruments and performs his wonders where one would least expect them. God is near to lowliness; he loves the lost, the neglected, the unseemly, the excluded, the weak and broken.’

— Dietrich Bonhoeffer

What’s in the word “incarnational”?

The incarnation of Jesus Christ is a key theological concept in Christianity. John’s gospel describes it succinctly — “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14, NIV), or as Eugene Peterson puts it, “The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood” (John 1:14, MSG).

Theologically speaking, the incarnation of Jesus Christ means that the “not-human” God became human.

God became like us.

Incarnational is a word that finds its basis in the Latin word incarnatio. The term, or its equivalent, is not found in Scripture. The concept, however, as we see above, is a foundational part of the Scriptural testimony about Jesus.

Here’s what the word means in four parts:

“in” = in or into

“carn” = flesh, body

“ation” = a suffix that transforms a verb into a noun (the verb “incarnate” becomes the noun “incarnation”)

“al” = a suffix that transforms a noun into an adjective (the noun “incarnation” becomes the adjective “incarnational”)

So, there we have it — IN-CARN-ATION-AL — an adjective describing something that has become flesh and blood, a human body. Jesus’ life and ministry can be characterized as incarnational because he is believed to be the God who became human, born of Mary.

Our lives are incarnational in that we embody the purpose and mission of Jesus Christ and, as a result, are sent out into our world to incarnate ourselves into people’s lives to shine light, hope, and peace.

In a Christian context, living an incarnational life means:

1. Faith lived out in practical ways in everyday life — showing love, compassion, forgiveness, and kindness to others, just as Jesus did during His earthly ministry.
2. Embodying Christ’s presence as a visible representation of grace — just as Jesus was God’s presence in human form, being incarnational means being Christ’s presence in the lives of others.
3. Being a meaningful presence in the world — being engaged and present in the lives of others, especially those who are marginalized or in need.
4. Empathizing and understanding the people around us — identifying with the struggles, pain, and joys of others and being sensitive to the needs and perspectives of those we interact with.
5. Selflessly serving others for the sake of Christ — stepping into the messiness of people’s lives to minister to them to promote shalom, their overall well-being.
6. Reflecting Godly character in our lives — our words, actions, and attitudes, mirroring God’s love, grace, mercy, and justice to the world.
7. Entering into people’s lives on their turf — meeting people where they live and breathe, learning their rhythms and routines, and speaking their language literally and metaphorically.

“The gospel is always and everywhere ‘incarnational,’ …it is God’s word communicated through persons. Where the gospel is not personal, it is not the gospel.”

— Romans 10:14, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series