Proverbs 8:22-31
Colossians 1:15-20
John 1:1-14
The lockdown has affected us in different ways. I’m not normally a lover of sci–fi but recent weeks have found us watching films like Apollo 13, Star Wars and a series called “Away” – a rubbishy but consumable Netflix production focusing on earth’s first mission to Mars.
Looking up into recent clear night skies I have been filled with the wonder and majesty of space, the mystery that lies beyond…..
The readings today all touch on the theme of mystery, creation and the beginning of time. They all, in some way, describe the incarnation; God incarnate, the creator of the universe living a human life among us in the most amazing way.
In the gospel today St John uses imagery and language in his prologue to illustrate this extraordinary concept. He uses phrases like: “the Word became flesh”; “the light shines in the darkness” and “we have seen his glory”.
What John is describing is a matter of deep significance. He uses the term the “Word” for the one who became incarnate, Christ. This echoes the language of the book of Proverbs, which describes Wisdom being beside God when he laid the foundations of the earth. John also echoes the language of Genesis, which also begins with the phrase “In the beginning”.
“The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works,
before his deeds of old;
I was formed long ago,
at the very beginning when the world came to be.” Prov 8: 22
John makes the connection between God’s actions in the beginning and his actions in Christ. The Word became flesh “was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him “. The one who brought the very first light out of the dark wastes described in Genesis is the one who now shines in the darkness. The one who breathed life into the very first of God’s children on earth is the one who now brings new life, “the power become children of God”. John 1:12
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” John 1:11-3
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together”. Colossians 1:15-17
We may wonder how can such deep matters of theology speak to us today, addressing our fears and uncertainties?
First, they show the consistency of God. Jesus does not appear from nowhere as a kind of random teacher and a miracle worker. The incarnation of the Word is part and parcel with God’s actions from the very beginning. Creation and re-creation belong together. We can trust God because it was he who formed our world and us in it, and it was he who cared enough for our world to come and live in it. The God we worship today is that same creator God, known to us through Christ.
Secondly, order in the universe is established. We are not an accident and nor is our world. The creation of the world is purposeful, and so is its salvation. The world began when God spoke his Word, and, it is claimed, it will not end until he says so. From the Greek word “logus” for “Word” we get our word “logic”. There is a logic in the universe, and it is God’s own logic, his purposes being worked out.
The world out there may seem a dark, uncertain and fragile place sometimes, but we are assured that “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it “. It may be difficult to see God’s purposes as more than a flickering candle in the dark, particularly in this time of lockdown, but the incarnation of the Word means that at least we have seen them in our own shape. In Christ incarnate we are given a glimpse of God’s purposes in human form. “The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory “.
I am reminded of that great hymn by Arthur Campbell Ainger.
God is working this purpose out,
as year succeeds to year;
God is working this purpose out,
and the time is drawing near;
nearer and nearer draws the time,
the time that shall surely be:
when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.
I look forward to the time when we can all sing this together – in full voice!
The Sunday Eucharist will be available at 11am online. You can access it on this link at that time. http://www.scotland.anglican.org/broadcast-sunday-worship/
Alternatively, you can access it by going straight onto the Scottish Episcopal Church website.
I will look forward to joining you all again via YouTube on Thursday for our morning Eucharist.
Please feel free to telephone me at any time.
My love and prayers to you all as always
Andrea
Loving God, bless and receive all who are affected by Coronavirus:
Especially:
Those who are sick and afraid
Those who are especially vulnerable
Those for whom home is not safe or available
Those who have lost their livelihoods
Those who have lost their lives
Those mourning for loved ones.
Amen