In the beginning God SAID

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was WITH God, and the Word WAS God; the Word was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through the Word, and without the Word was not anything made that was made. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

Our gospel reading for the First Sunday after Christmas Day is always this prologue to the Gospel according to John, “In the beginning was the Word,” a foundation of our Christian theology. Laying that foundation here in worship is a sound and solid basis for beginning the New Year.

The Gospel according to John - - whoever wrote this gospel, we do not know, all four canonical gospels are anonymous - - opens his story by carrying Jesus all the way back to beresheet, the beginning of God’s creating work as told in Genesis One: 

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth; and the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved over the face of the waters (violent, churning chaos). And God SAID, Let there be light, and there WAS light.” And all that God SAID, it was so.

According to Genesis, creation was brought into existence by God SAYING, which is the Word of God spoken, speaking, Genesis 1, verse 3, “way-yo-mer Elohim ye-hi” and God SAID, Commanded, Declared “Let there BE” and it was so.”

John’s gospel goes a step further. His NT Greek for “Word” is LOGOS. In the beginning was LOGOS, the Word. Beyond and before Jewish and Christian theology of creation (In the Beginning, God SAID), LOGOS is an ancient philosophical concept of the underlying force and power that causes to Be, all that IS.

In our case, you see, in the case of our particular universe - - and in their time each and all other universes that may be out there, if you can stretch your thinking to that mind-boggling notion, and if you cannot, your God is too small!! - - in the case of our particular universe and of Earth, which Eucharistic Prayer C calls “this fragile Earth, our island home,” the Word, the LOGOS that was the Big Bang itself, became Incarnate - - was born, was enfleshed, “was made man” - -  in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. And LOGOS the WORD became flesh, and dwelt among us.

And for what purpose, the Gospel according to John elucidates repeatedly, as Love. God is Love. “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another. As I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (John 13.34).“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.” (John 15:9). And the test: “Simon, do you LOVE me? Simon DO you love me? Simon, do you (really and truly) love me?” where each of us is Simon Peter who in our living, our way of life, have denied Jesus over and over again. “Do you love me?” 

Feeding others. Healing others. Loving others. Dying for others. And even, having died by our hand, returning in love to go on loving. 

God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, to the end that all who believe in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

For us as Christians, the Jesus People, there is no better or more appropriate way to begin the New Year than to hold in mind that the LOGOS, the underlying power of Being itself, loves us. Has been to Earth in human Time to bring us the love of the one true living God who spoke all things into being for love alone. To show us what love is like. And to call us to do and be what God is, what Jesus is.

The Love Commandment is laid upon you personally. In this divided world, you cannot hate. In our divided nation, you cannot hate. Do you hear me: you cannot hate. You cannot speak contemptuously and hatefully of those who differ from you. If you are Red, you CANNOT hate Blue. If you are Blue, you CANNOT hare Red. Do you hear, Christian, do you hear, do you hear? Not for your neighbor, this is for you. Cast hatred aside. New Years Day: we are up against our annual beginning, when we are called to begin again, with a new chance at making life right. The very LOGOS of Creation, Being, and All that Is, Jesus and his gospel, call you to a new beginning of becoming Christ, becoming the LOGOS, becoming what Jesus is. 

Hear the LOGOS, the Word of God: way.yo.mer Elohim, this is my commandment, that you Love one another. As I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are Becoming what I AM: that you love one another. 

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Sermon, 30 December 2018, the Rev Tom Weller. Holy Nativity Episcopal Church, Panama City, Florida. First Sunday after Christmas Day. Text: John 1:1-18, "In the beginning was LOGOS, the Word."

Pic: taken on 19th Street, PC FL on Friday, Dec 28th. New storm gathering over the ongoing bleakness that Hurricane Michael left behind.