For Sunday, January 3, 2016 – John 1:(1-9), 10-18
For John the best way to tell of God’s coming into this time and space realm is by means of poetry. In lieu of genealogy and anecdotes, he offers a filling feast of images. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God….” John paints a picture of an eternal landscape into which a singular beacon of light shines. This light is a “life that was the light of all people.” Even now it shines on, erasing the most impenetrable darkness, which did not, indeed cannot, overcome it. The words lift us out of the dismal abyss of our own darkness. Out of the muck of complacency, hope for a better world shines.
It is good in this season to ponder the potency of God’s coming, and it is of great consequence to wonder about the meaning of this coming now. What difference will that “night of nights” make for all the other nights of our lives? Do we expect this light to scatter our current darkness? In 2016 will we be one of the messengers of this light, or will we strive to keep it hidden, not to speak out, not to disturb the dragons of darkness? In and through each of us, will he remain unknown, or will he shine?
Will this be the year we move from ‘wishing for a nicer world’ to making intentional contributions and distributions of light? As John sadly notes, it is possible for the light to be in the very world it created without ever being known. Will we add our voices to the cacophony of complaint, or choose to offer light? What might we do or be? I heard about one person planning to surprise someone with a thank you note every day this year. Somewhere in Washington a curious person takes strangers out to dinner once or twice each month, in exchange for hearing their stories. In our community someone is inviting his Christian and Muslim friends to a potluck dinner later this week, just for the fun and the food and oh, yeah, his wish for a better world. The kind of world with more spaces for light to shine. To bear witness to this light, to become this light, is our primary work on this side of Christmas.
