How can the Jesus way work?

Matthew ends the Christmas story in this real world which God made and loves, yet which tragically is a fallen world where humankind has freedom to act in the worst of ways as well as doing so much good. Jesus is plunged into our scarey violent world.  It looks like the worst start. Grim in the darkest of ways. Why is life like this? Why does God allow this monster Herod to be so cruel. Why are there Hitlers, Assads, and Herods? We are given no answers. This real world means living with many unknowables, so many unanswered questions.  We're human needing to live with unanswered why questions. We're human! And Jesus is human too. 

This is vital for maturing faith to be built on rock. My faith isn’t going to be solid enough unless my Lord and Saviour lives for real.  For his big claims about love, peace, kindness, forgiveness to work, to have any value he has to demonstrate them. For Jesus to change the world he’s got to be in the world as it is.  He’s not shielded in some religious bubble, enjoying comfort when world in misery, an easy life when the world suffers.  To be Immanuel, God with us, he has to be with us. One of us, so no one can say he hasn’t been where I am, hasn’t faced what I face, hasn’t suffered what I suffer.

This raises two questions for me: 1) How can Jesus’ way of love and peace work in this real world.  Read Matthew 2 and you cannot escape the contrast between a raging powerful Herod in the headlines and this refugee baby with nobody parents in exile, returning to a nobody town. What hope is there for the Christmas promise of peace on earth and goodwill among people? For this heralded Prince of Peace whose Kingdom will know no end? Honestly, what chance does Jesus have of changing this world? 

How’s it going to work?   That's a good question. It goes to the heart of the gospel with its good news that God's justice, mercy and love works in a completely different way from this harsh world. Jesus is Lord of a different kind of kingdom . As Jesus develops his ministry he doesn’t answer all the why questions.  Rather he shows us who God is as a Father who loves human beings so much he has sent his Son to show a completely different way of behaving as children in his family. We see Jesus with the crowds, hear his teaching, see his love, compassion and strength all the way to his world-changing sacrifice of the cross. 

I was intrigued by a book that's just been published by Graham Allcott. He begins by telling how in his twenties he became personal assistant to the chief executive of a major charity. Later a new boss arrived and on her first day in the post laughed about making one of the company directors cry. Three quarters of the senior management team left in 6 months. She was a remorseless bully.  He sees this so often that he calls 'ruthlessness and aggression' king in this world. Yet, he argues for another way. His book is called: Kind: The Quiet power of kindness at work.  He reckons that kindness gets a bad press because it’s often confused with being nice. Many assume nice means telling people what they want to hear. No. Being kind is about telling people what they need to hear.  It’s about building trust in a positive environment, setting clear expectations, being humble, slowing down to listen more deeply, appreciate more, memorize connections and gain more understanding. 

By it's title, I thought it was a Christian book. It isn't. It's a business leadership book but, of course, its message about the quiet power of kindness is the best way to lead in business - after all, it's God's way. Looking at those qualities he lists raises my second question.....