So very often in life we find ourselves in a situation when expressions like  ‘I know what you mean…’ or ‘I understand …’ are part of the conversation. We are either the recipients or the deliverers of such words. And more often than not they are not true when we use them.

The truth is that we are faced with difficult issues that someone had shared with us and we are simply lost for words. Not wanting to lose face we just ‘grab and dish’ a polite remark like that. If we hear these expressions and the one who uses the is close enough we retaliate back: ‘…no, you don’t’.

Joan Osbourne (who I have borrowed my pots title from) wrote a peculiar, intriguing and possibly offensive song: asking that very question: ‘what if God was one of us?’

I think the Christmas story introduces us to a God who truly does understand. One of His titles was Emmanuel – God with us.

Jesus – the son of God – was born as human being – one of us

Jesus grew up in an ordinary Jewish home – one of us

Jesus was misunderstood, even by those close to Him – one of us

Jesus was betrayed by some of his best friends – one of us.

… And the list could go on.

The Christmas story, punctuated by the ordinary details, reminds us that God came as our Immanuel to demonstrate His saving love for us – for me , for you… He understands… He is the One, you can never turn around to and frustrated say: ‘You just don’t know what it’s like….’

As Hebrews 4:15 puts it: “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”