"The word became flesh and dwelt among us". That is the gospel in seven words. The creative power of God, the wisdom of God, the Holy One became a human being and dwelt among us. That is the central message of Christ ... the core mystery of Christianity ... what we Christians call, the "Incarnation" ... God with us, Emmanuel.

The first handful of verses, in John's Gospel, set the coming of Jesus in beautiful poetic verse ... "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

John reduces the Gospel into profound prose ... yet in reducing, John does not diminish the Gospel. His introduction to it does not compress Jesus, but entices us to ask more ... who is this word of God for whom all things are made? Who is this true light? Why would God wish to become a human being?

It is a good question. Why would God become a human being in Jesus? Why would God enter into this world and live among us ordinary people? Why would God not stay outside of human reality ... away from the muck, the suffering and confusion?

Because human living is certainly a challenge ... and the older a person gets the more one realizes that most people are really just flying by the seats of their pants. I know I am. For all the pretenses clergy have, there are no voices from God telling me for certain what God wants.

And for other vocations, I suspect the case might be the same. What is the right thing to do? What is the best course to take? Or maybe we don't even ask the question and just let life carry us along from this thing to the next, with no rhyme nor reason. Amid all of life there seems to be confusion ... often we just don't get it ... we walk in the darkness more than we think.

Perhaps that is why when God came in Jesus we human beings crucified him. That's right ... we know the Easter story, Jesus was nailed to a cross, abandoned, ... crucified. This Christ child, God with us. This one born in a stable, who walked among us, healing the sick, casting out the darkness, sharing meals with the outcast, and showing us the way. In the end, he was abandoned on a cross. Amid human folly and human failure, we tried to extinguish God.

Yet, the darkness could not and has not overcome it. God's glory would not be reduced by human pride nor human folly. On the third day, the tomb was found empty, the light of God had overcome the darkness of humanity on that cross. Even the darkness of death could not overcome the light of God's love through Jesus Christ.

And that is the glory we have seen and many have experienced, in follow this crucified God. People who have walked in darkness, who have seen the light of Jesus Christ. Amid the foggy and confusion of life, people who have glimpsed the light of God in their lives.

And for those who not yet seen God, I invite you to share in the life of Christ, through his church, and eventually you will come to realize that God is already with you, even if you are not yet aware of God's presence. For amid the challenges and struggles, and yes, conflicts of human beings trying to live together, the light IS there. Amid the fog, we can see Jesus. Amid the darkness, we can glimpse the light of Christ leading us.

And at those time we know, that amid the mystery, God's creative plan is at work in the world. Through following in the way of Jesus we come to see who God really is. This God who's home is a stable ... whose throne is a cross ... this King of the Universe who stoops lower than a slave, to wash his followers feet. This God who is willing to go to a cross ... to redeem the world. This Jesus Christ who feeds us with his body and blood. This God of love who is willing to call people who have walked in the darkness ... and claim us as children of light ... this God who is beyond our comprehension, but ever willing to call us friends. This is the God we see ... and because of this Christ child, we see that God's glory is with us ... we are not alone. Thanks be to God

Sermon John 1:14
by James Love