Born in 1611, Nicholas Herman never received a formal education. He lived his life as a soldier and household servant. But at the age of 55, Herman decided to become a lay brother with the Carmelite order. He thereafter became known simply as Brother Lawrence.

For the next 25 years, this man of no education, no religious training and no worldly stature was assigned to work in the kitchen of the abbey — not as a cook, but as a dishwasher. Every moment of the day was spent doing little else, and Brother Lawrence eventually came to refer to himself as the “lord of all pots and pans.” Yet, to his mind, the mundane and trivial tasks of a dishwasher became something sacramental, the means by which he attained a constant spiritual intimacy with God. 

Brother Lawrence was on to something. 

The Christmas story is filled with vivid descriptions of angelic visitations, a miraculous birth and massed heavenly choirs. These overwhelming images remind us, quite properly, of the astonishing fact that the Creator of the Universe actually chose to enter human history. The birth of the Christ child would literally change everything forever, and we therefore cannot be surprised that His arrival was powerfully expressed through the infinite glory of Heaven itself. 

And yet, in the midst of all that, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that God sent His Son into the world to be part of our daily lives. He sent His Son into an isolated part of a sparsely populated land where largely uneducated people were simply trying to make it from one day to the next. He determined that, rather than having His Son born into privilege and power, Jesus’ birth would be understood as a means of creating deeper intimacy with all humankind. People would recognize that, whatever their circumstances, God still wanted to fellowship with them.

When my wife and I served in Kenya, we would often marvel at the profound faith of the people among whom we lived. With little to call their own in terms of earthly possessions, they consistently manifested a level of intimacy with God that we deeply admired. Praying was merely a frank conversation with their Heavenly Father. Whether they were asking God to intervene in a medical situation, provide school fees or just supply food for tomorrow, they knew that because He loved them, He would both listen to and care for them.

We can do the same. After all, Jesus was born into a world that did not have social security, retirement plans or health insurance. He was born into a world where people lived at the mercy of the elements and the whims of the leaders of the day. And despite all the social and economic mechanisms that we’ve since gathered around us, God’s expressed commitment in Christ hasn’t changed one iota. When everything else fails, He’s still there. 

That’s why believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior is the only way to plumb the depths of His love. It’s the only way by which we can simultaneously experience the mind-boggling majesty and boundless love of God. He intends that His power be matched by intimate fellowship, producing a divine mix of glory and familiarity, strength and vulnerability, awe and warmth. In that beautiful blend, we are more than simply connected to God. We are in His presence.

Despite the simple circumstances of his life, despite the humble nature of his work, and especially despite knowing that he was a deeply flawed human being, Brother Lawrence once wrote: 

This king, full of mercy and goodness, very far from chastening me, embraces me with love, invites me to feast at his table, serves me with his own hands, and gives me the key to his treasures. He converses with me and takes delight in me and treats me as if I were his favorite. 

And God feels the same way about you. After all, this is the God who comforted an uncertain Moses by declaring, “My presence will go with you.” This is the God that never abandoned the nation of Israel, even when it abandoned Him. This is the God whose Son assured His disciples, “Surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.”

This is the God who “will keep you from all harm — he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore” (Psalm 121:7–8 NIV).

This is a God we can trust. The simple, flawed people to whom the angels announced the birth of the Christ child — Immanuel — realized this and rejoiced. So can we.

Commissioner Kenneth Hodder is the National Commander of The Salvation Army in The United States.