Brooke Dittmer

1. Michael Himes bluntly states that the incarnation is not the revelation of who God is, it is
the revelation of who we are. The Incarnation tells us what it is to be a human being (20).
But what does it mean to be a human being? Christians learn early on that we are born
sinners. Humans are naturally tempted into evil and struggle to find the good. We saw
this in the story of Adam and Eve. The serpent told the couple that God is great and
glorious and powerful and majestic and wise and that they are not like that. He told
stated, You dont want to be human, you have to abandon being human in order to be
like God (21). Believing and accepting this statement is what leads us to evil. We need
to shift our focus away from evil and towards a God who emptied his Godself to be like
us without sin. Himes says, This is the ultimate statement of the goodness of being
human, the rightness of humanity (22). Because our humanity is the one thing in
common we share with God, it is what unites us with the fullness of Gods glory. Our
humanity, therefore, must be composed of God-like characteristics, otherwise it wouldnt
be something God possesses. With that said, human beings should live with immense
dignity, value and importance of genuine, full, and authentic humanity because it is by
being as human as we can possibly be, that you become more fully and truly like God
(23). If people deeply embraced this interpretation of the incarnation and took it literal
His followers would be striving day by day to acquire God-like characteristics. As Himes
mentioned, we should live in a way that brings us as close to Gods humanity. This means
that people would be loving, forgiving, accepting, forgiving, and the list could go on and
on. It would be a goal to be like God. Internally, we all know we sin and make mistakes,
so do we truly believe that we are like God? If we would all be as similar to God as

possible, we would love our neighbors the way we love God, with our whole mind, heart,
and soul. As a result, the world would be a much happier, safer, and healthier place.
Sorrows would be consoled, violence would be ceased, and fear would not exist. Those
who are lost, would be found, and those who are found by God would save those who are
lost. God saves all.
2. A prophet is always a friend of God, but is someone who spreads and stands up for His
word. Johnson says, To be a prophet is to raise your voice in criticism against injustice
because you love the world in your heart the way God does You are moved to console
the oppressed and confront the powerful (27). Situations that are in need of prophets
today consist of the oppressed who are suffering physically, emotionally, and mentally.
An example of someone suffering physically is a war veteran who lost his limbs in
combat. Words of gratitude and respect would fulfill a fraction of the definition of a
prophet. In addition to these words, I would also remind the vet that his sacrifice and loss
was due to him fighting for peace and love, which is a way of him spreading good and
stopping injustice like God wants. Because in a way he is also a prophet, I can take action
by spreading the significance a vet has on our life and prophecy. I can do this by donating
to events like Honor Flight and hope that the vet sees what his goodness does for the
world. An example of someone suffering emotionally is someone in poverty. I can donate
food or daily items to them. I can also help them through the process of finding a job. I
would hope that the person in poverty can find the faith to believe in a better life. An
example of someone suffering mentally is someone who has lost a loved one. It is hard to
have healing words for someone who has experienced a loss because they usually need to
heal on their own time. Instead I would let them know that I am there for support and any

other help they may need. I would remind them to turn for God in a time of deep despair,
that He can show them the light and better days. I would hope that my words would
comfort them to know that they dont have to go through this suffering alone. The
oppressed need consoling and support which they can achieve with through the help of a
prophet. Other situations that are in need of prophets are those who take control of the
power they pocess. An example of this is a past principle at Hempstead High School. A
couple years ago, the principle traded drugs for sex with a sophomore that attended the
school. Although it would be extremely intimidating for someone my age to confront
someone much older, I would use words that made him re-evaluate his actions and the
power he is taking advantage of. This could be accomplished by telling him about the
innocence he has stolen from a young girl. I would put this in perspective by telling him
what the age of the women would be if his own son were to do this. When he gets to
thinking, I would remind him that he is better than this by using his accomplishments in
life. I would also offer a marriage counseling session for him and his wife to attend. I
would hope that at such a young age, a man that old would actually obtain what I said
and made him reconsider what he was doing, felt great sympathy for his actions,
apologized to the girl, his family, and his school, and took action to make a change and
make things better. Those with power, need prophets for help to see the world in a
completely different way. They see it in darkness and with no consequences for actions.
They need help to see it in a way that they should instead use their power to good use.
3. Catherine wrote personal letters to a wide and varied audience. Each is obviously
written with his or her particular joys and sorrows, problems and concerns, strengths and
weaknesses, and specific circumstances in life (19). She writes these letters out of her

love and understanding of God. With this said, a letter of encouragement to me would be
similar to most others within my age group due to the challenges we face as college
students. I think that Catherine would tell me to stay positive and work hard. This
combination allows students to reach goals and be the best we can be. By staying
positive, we stray away from giving up, whether it be from just homework or school
entirely. This hits close to home for me with the challenges I faced at my previous
colleges. I gave up on my positive energy and soon my grades and social life also
dwindled. A letter from Catherine then would have been extremely helpful! Working hard
forces us to learn, get good grades, and land awesome opportunities, like an internship or
job for example. I think that the combination of positive energy and hard work will make
for great experiences for a college student. I believe that Catherine would challenge me
by reminding me to stay positive and work hard but with the help of God. She would
push me to make time for my relationship with God. She would also challenge me to trust
in Him, knowing that after college He will get me to where I need to be.

Dearest daughter in Christ gentle Jesus,

I Catherine, servant and slave of the servants of Jesus Christ, write to you in his precious blood,
to not only encourage you, but to challenge you to His name as well. You were created in His
love, and therefore, are gifted with the tools needed to make it through your current path of life
and to achieve your goals and dreams. His love is like fire, it is always burning and spreading for
us, so remember to keep Him by your side, as he will help in the process of staying positive. If
you make time for Him, He will walk along side of you with uplifting spirits. When you make
time for him, you will begin to develop not only an understanding of Him, but an understanding
of yourself as well. With this, I know that you can find the motivation to make the most of
yourself and your work to accomplish goodness through His name. Get to know Him in ways
that I have, and I promise that your worries will lessen and be replaced with gratitude for where
you end up in life.

Catherine