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Christmas marks a beginning: a new way God acts in the world. Luke’s story is so familiar it appears even in “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”  The apostle John, however, does not recite the litany of rulers' names and nativity scene details. Instead, he returns to “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us...” [John 1: 1-14] to explain why Jesus came into the world.

 

Christmas is about the incarnation, when God became human in the person of Jesus and changed the world. As the Greek version says: “God pitched his tent among us.” God is really here, maybe even in our backyards. John puts the incarnation in a universal context that transcends time and place. He shows what God intends and desires for all of us. Everything that comes next - everything Jesus does - is part of God’s love for us. 

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A way of being based on love and self-giving, as demonstrated by Jesus, is possible. It is the way things ought to be.  We know they’re not that way most of the time. Our role, as followers of Jesus, is to try to show there is hope in following Christ and his promises.

Sometimes doing just that is enough.  

 

I have always been partial to this verse: “The light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”  These times
can feel very dark.  We search for anything that might provide
a bit of light. The birth of Jesus, the coming of God into the
world as a human, is like a candle in a cave.  It provides just
enough light to guide us.  This is why the message of Jesus
we hear every Sunday is one of hope. In the improbable form
of a baby, hope came into a world as chaotic, dangerous,
and unjust then as it is now. Hope still shines even in the
darkest times and places.  

 

Looking for, finding, and holding onto hope makes us human.
It is what we are called to do. We may see it in the actions of
others. Sometimes they experience hope because of our
actions, even if we are not aware. Hope has a way of
surprising us.

 

During Epiphany, let us reflect on the ministry of Jesus and
how his light spread to the ends of earth. May we share that
light through our prayers, songs, and actions.

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This long-lost stole returned to our altar after 250 hours of
painstaking restoration by Jennifer Burchell. May her devotion
and skill inspire you to resurrect something or someone
damaged by lack of attention or care. In  2025, try to make
the world a better place in some way, no matter how great or small. 

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