Why do we get so excited to hear a new baby is going to be born? We don't know this person. Not even the mother carrying the child knows the person. Yet, the universal reaction to the news of an impending birth is one of joy.
How weird is that? In no other situation do people, as a collective whole, get so excited to meet someone new. I mean, what if I were to walk up to you and say, "Guess what? In about nine months or so, I'm going to introduce a completely new person to you. In fact, this person will be moving into my home. No, no, I don't know who it is yet, and I have no idea what kind of personality she will have. All I know is that I will be serving at her every beck and call, she won't speak our language, and I expect you to love this person and assist me in waiting on her and completely re-centering the focus of the social group onto this unknown individual." You'd think I was crazy! And yet, that's exactly what we do when a new baby is about to be born.
Yesterday, I found out that my "heart sister" (family by heart, not blood) is going to have a baby later this year. And I am absolutely ecstatic! I am so excited that a new person will be entering the family and I CAN'T WAIT to meet my new niece or nephew! No one knows who this person is or will become, but I already love that baby with all my heart and soul. How strange that my automatic reaction was one of absolute, unequivocal joy. I don't have to meet this new little person to know that, just like with my sister's first precious baby, I will love and dote on that child and spoil him/her rotten!
At first, I thought the automatic love of new babies must stem from the cute factor (see above) that all babies possess. People are fascinated with how tiny and intricately designed babies are. But I don't think that's the root of the "new baby fever" everybody catches when a pregnancy is announced. Because let's be honest, there are plenty of ugly babies in this world that are loved and adored just as much as the exceptionally cute ones and those anywhere in between.
I think the excitement stems from the promise of new life. Think about it. What makes this reaction so weird - that no one knows anything about this person - is the very reason why it exists. There are endless possibilities for what this child will become. We aren't just adding a stranger to the group; we are adding an entirely new person to it. This human did not even exist, and now he does!
According to the Westminster Catechism, mankind was made for one basic purpose: to glorify God (Sarah Brinson paraphrase). For starters, conception itself is a testament on its own to the miraculous, creative, powerful God we serve. Each new person is unique from anyone else, and therefore glorifies the Creator in a way different than anything seen before or after. Those involved in this new baby's life are blessed with the privilege of having a front-row seat to this "new song" (see Psalms) to the Lord.
The promise of a new baby is hope at its root. Hope for the amazing relationships we will have with this person. Hope for new experiences, new and different personalities, new effects on the world. Most importantly, it is a reflection of the greatest Hope of all: new life in Christ Jesus.
Hope, in this sense, is more than the possibility of something that we wish would happen. The Greek root elpis (often used in the New Testament) defines the concept of hope as expectation or assurance of things to come. When we hear that a new baby will soon enter the world, we rejoice in what we know will be glory to God. It is not a question of if this baby will be a reflection of the Father's majesty, but rather how it will be manifested.
The wonderful news I received yesterday has me dancing for joy! I can't wait to see God's beautiful creativity unfolding in this little baby, but my hope for this child's life extends beyond that. Each relationship with this child, my own included, will be its own song of praise.
In fact, my niece or nephew's life has already served to deepen my personal relationship with the Lord. By realizing the hope of this new baby's life, God has taught me today that I have the very same hope in my own life. Life after 23 has given me a blank canvas full of possibilities. A few months ago, I talked about just enjoying life in the present moment. The natural extension of that attitude is that of the assured hope that my Jesus is holding the paintbrush. So while I rejoice in the endless possibilities stretching before this new baby's life, I can rejoice just as much in the same promise for my own!
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