Hello Everyone! I wrote this message from The Kernel with John 1:1-14 (NIV) in mind. I have included this passage from the Bible at the end of the blog. First, let’s talk about Jesus, our hope and light in the darkness we are facing.
Jesus the Light on Dark Pathways.
The other day I went into my music room and sat down at the piano and began to play for the first time in months. I began at the beginning of the book and went song to song. Until I turned the page and found that it was time to play Emma Lazarus’’ poem “The New Colossus” set to music by Irving Berlin in 1949. The title of the song is “Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor”. I was struck at how the words speak to the American today. You all know the poem because it is inscribed on the plaque at the feet of Lady Liberty as a message of hope to all who pass by into the New Harbor. American citizens and immigrants alike see and hear the same message.” You are welcome here and this is a safe place full of opportunity.” That was the intended original message Or at least that is the message we hope is broadcast,
Listen to the words as Lady Liberty raises her right hand holding a lighted torch and sings…
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.
I am emotional as I hear these words because we are all suffering from virus fatigue and the results of it’s claim on our lives at home and around the world. We have become the tired, the poor and the huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Indeed, the world seems to be huddled in darkness because of the pandemic, social and political situations. This poem contains wonderful words of hope but we need more.
The message the world need’s most comes alive during the season of Advent as we prepare to celebrate God’s personal message to each one of us. In the Gospel according to Saint John, John the Baptist, that larger than life last of the OT prophets, proclaimed in our gospel lesson this morning that God has taken charge of our hopelessness and sent His Son to live among us to show us that without a doubt, we have received grace upon grace. Jesus was born into a world of darkness to light our way to God’s message of love, salvation and hope for eternal life.
Jesus was not a lifeless statue but the living breathing Son of God who became human to live among us and to demonstrate that there is hope during our suffering. Jesus is the Christ Child who brought hope into the world. Our call is to proclaim that Jesus is the Christ Child who was born in a manger. He is the Christ Child who performed miracles while suffering human pain, carried a cross, died, and rose from the dead for all of us. He is the Christ Child who brought light into a dark world. And He is the reason we have Apostolic Hope as we proclaim and live by;
Christ has died
Christ is risen
Christ will come again
The Word Became Flesh
John 1:1-14 (NIV)
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.
Everything is going to be okay. I promise.
Image used with permission.
