Light Shines in the Darkness

When things seem dark I remember the truth of John 1:5 (“Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has NOT overcome it.”) from scripture which is an advent theme really. It’s a foundation for my thinking and way of approaching life and all our efforts in peacemaking. It’s about the coming of Jesus into our world and how often his overture is missed, then as well as now. Sometimes it seems that too few notice his coming, or even care. Or that he makes a difference. Or, sometimes worse, we ignore his call to make a difference. Btw, this is, in my opinion, not a churchy message. Because truth be told, I think the church, or institutional Christianity in many forms, sometimes resembles what is said later in the same passage. “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (John 1:11). No matter. Because he still cannot be overcome. And somehow those who truly yield to his path are also not overcome. I really believe that. Some translations of this verse in the Bible render the word “overcome” as “comprehend.” There’s some truth to both meanings I think but it may be that our current reality fits the second idea more closely. Because it seems that many just do not comprehend the ways of Jesus for peace. Nevertheless…

I invite you to ponder this Christmas these words in John 1.

The Word Became Flesh

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome^[a] it. ⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. ⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. ¹⁴ 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. (NIV).