Philip Brooks

How do you respond to the question, “Are you born again?” Some of us comfortably identify ourselves this way to express our commitment as true followers of Jesus and not just nominal ones. Others are wary of using the loaded phrase, as it has come to be associated with right-wing politics and overzealous believers. Jesus coined the term “born again” in a conversation with Nicodemus, who came by night to seek a private audience with him. Jesus pushes past pleasantries to tell Nicodemus in no uncertain terms, “Truly, I tell you, you cannot enter the kingdom of God unless you are born again” (John 3.3). The Greek word translated “again” can also mean “from above.” Jesus doesn’t leave Nicodemus any wiggle room regarding his directive for a spiritual birth. You cannot enter the kingdom of God without it. This spiritual birth is not something Nicodemus can pull off on his own. Birth is not something we do in our own strength and power. Yet Jesus never enumerates what happens in this new birth. For some in Scripture, it happens suddenly, while for others, it occurs gradually over time. What is required is a willingness on our side to receive this new birth. Are we willing to receive this new birth from God?
As we prepare for Christ’s coming this Advent, I recall something a third century Christian leader, Origen, wrote, “What good does it do me if Christ was born in Bethlehem once if he is not born again in my heart through faith?” Angelus Silesius, writing in the seventeenth century, said something similar, “Christ can be born a thousand times in Bethlehem—but all in vain until he is born in me.” The concluding verse of Philip Brooks’ (1835-1893) Christmas carol, “O Little Town of Bethlehem” is worth pondering here. Philip wrote the lyrics in haste for a Sunday school pageant in the Philadelphia church he pastored and requested the music director compose a simple tune to accompany the song. “Neither Mr. Brooks nor I ever thought the carol or the music to it would live beyond Christmas of 1868,” the music director said. How many times have I sung its words without thinking? How appropriate to pray: