The One True Light Day 2: The Word

In case you haven’t managed to get your copy of The One True Light yet, we’re posting the first three days of these Advent devotional readings from John 1 on our blog. It’s not too late to start—order today and choose next-day delivery, or download the ebook.

Day 2. The Word

"In the beginning was the Word…" John 1 v 1

Have you ever wrapped a Christmas present for your cat? Have you ever watched a TV programme simply because you didn’t want to disturb the cat on your lap by reaching for the remote? Have you ever stood shivering at an open door while your cat decided whether it wanted to go out? Are you a cat person?

I live among cat people. We live under the delusion that we own our cat. But our cat acts as if she owns us. And our next door neighbour. And pretty much everything and anyone she comes into contact with…

Personally, I’m more of a dog person. Dogs appear to understand a wider vocabulary of human words and pick up on our emotions more. Maybe cats understand as much, but they just don’t care. We can have some kind of meaningful relationship with a dog. But even with dogs, we can’t do things like share our hopes for the future.

So what about single-celled organisms like bacteria? You already have millions of them as pets: in your house, on your body and in your gut. But imagine trying to communicate with your pet bacteria. Imagine them sitting on the back of your hand now. How do you speak to them? You can’t write a letter. They can’t follow you on Twitter. You could whisper to them, or even shout. But can they hear? And how would you know that the message had got through? I guess you could do the chemical equivalent of poking them. But it’s hardly meaningful communication. They don’t know your name or the names of your family.

And even if you could get through to them, what language would you speak? Even if you could say something, would they understand any of the concepts you used?

Suppose you manage to say, “I’m just off for brunch with my family”. Would they understand what brunch is? Or a family? Or even what it means to be a conscious individual, an “I”? Probably not. (Or maybe they would ask you to pass on regards to their extended family living in your partly-cooked burgers!) We can have a limited relationship with a dog. But any meaningful relationship with a bacterium is impossible because we are just too different.

This is something like the problem involved in God communicating with humanity, because God and humanity are so different. Before God we’re the equivalent of bacteria on a Petri dish. How can God communicate to us? What language can he use? Even if we could hear words from him, how could he say anything that we could comprehend?

The goods news is that Jesus is the Word of God, in whom we hear God. John’s Gospel begins, “In the beginning was the Word”. The man Jesus, says John, is the Word. God has accommodated himself to us in the most incredible way. He has become one of us. It’s as if I transformed myself into a bacterium to communicate with other bacteria.

The good news is that Jesus is the Word of God, in whom we hear God.

Think for a moment about doing that. Think about the massive implications that would have for you. Think of everything you would give up. Think of the incomprehension of others at your choice. Think of how strong the driving force would need to be for you to make that choice.

What does that choice mean for us? We can’t see Jesus in the flesh. We can’t hear him teaching by Lake Galilee or see him performing a miracle. Do you ever wish you had been there, standing in the boat as water ran across your feet, feeling your stomach turn with the swell of the waves, smelling the spray as sweat ran down your face? And then hearing the words, “Be still”?

But we weren’t there and we can’t hear the calm, commanding voice of Jesus. We can’t stand open-mouthed in fearful wonder as the waves lie flat at the sound of his voice. So how can we hear God today?

The answer is that we can encounter Jesus the Word in the promises of the prophets in the Old Testament and the testimony of the apostles in the New Testament. The Spirit-inspired Bible gives us access to Jesus the Word. We encounter him as his story is retold. We encounter him as his message is preached. We encounter the Word in the words of Scripture.

And whenever we encounter him, we encounter God. Whenever we hear the message of Jesus, we hear the voice of God.

Whenever we hear the message of Jesus, we hear the voice of God.

Meditate

In the beginning was the Word…

Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born that happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory given!
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.
(O Come, All Ye Faithful)

Prayer

Blessed Lord,
who has caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant that we may in such wise hear them,
read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that by patience and comfort of your holy Word,
we may embrace, and ever hold fast
the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.
(The Book of Common Prayer, the Collect for the second Sunday in Advent)

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