The Second Sunday after Christmas January 2, 2011

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life,^* and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. ²³⁴⁵

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.^*789

10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own,^* and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. ¹¹¹²¹³

14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,^* full of grace and truth.

John 1:1-14

The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
 
Words of peace, comfort and joy. Words spoken years ago to exiles, sojourners and aliens in a world of darkness.   

Words spoken today to those who feel like exiles and sojourners in a world of darkness. Words promising light, promising a new world, a new reality that contradicts what we presently experience and take for granted.
 
The message to us this Christmas is the same—God offers another way to live in the midst of the old world of alienation and darkness that seems overwhelming.

“In the beginning was Word”

The Word--the power, the grace, the great gift of God who has been with God from the very beginning--Christ, the Savior, the child, born in a stable, to a poor young girl in Bethlehem, Jesus, the babe, who will be worshipped and adored by wisemen who followed a star to find him.

He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.

He was in the beginning. Christmas was not an afterthought, not a whim of God. Christmas was part of the plan from the very beginning. All through history, all through the heartbreaks and disappointments and struggles of the people of the Old Testament, God had Christmas in mind for humanity.

What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.

By now, most of the Christmas lights have been dimmed. Most of the decorations are down and Christmas of 2010 will be just a memory we share in the years ahead.  Some of our memories of this Christmas will be full of light and joy and warmth. Some will be dark memories, tempered by tragedy, illness, losses, struggles, or memories of sadder Christmases.

The world can be a place of darkness at times. We all face those times in our lives when all we see is the darkness--and the only light available is this promise-- “the light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it”
 
That promise is the light we can cling to and find our way through the darkness. No matter how dark it seems, no matter what the sorrow that weighs upon us, no matter what the burden, that child lying in a manger, was born to give us light and hope to endure and find our way in the darkness. Make no mistake--it can get very dark in this world at times. But the promise of Christmas is this--there is no darkness that can overcome the light of love, forgiveness, salvation, goodness and life that Christ brings. That light shines all year --long after the decorations have been boxed and put away.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.

It requires trust and faith to cling to this light in the darkness. Because it is a light that cannot always be seen. It’s a light that is known in your heart and through faith. It is a light that is not dependent upon what we see. Because we do not and cannot see what God sees. It is a light that is not dependent upon what we feel because we don’t always feel light and cheery and happy. Those who depend only upon what they can feel and see cannot know Christ because Christ invites us to trust. And trust depends on that which we cannot see and touch. Faith trusts God’s forgiveness and love, even when we don’t feel particularly lovable or forgivable. Faith trusts in the light of Christ, even when all we see is darkness. Faith depends on something other than ourselves to know what is real. Those who trust only themselves and what they can see, feel and know, are not willing to risk that which they cannot control and so they reject the light and promise of Christ.

But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

Those who can give up their own power are given an even greater power--the power to become children of God--children of God who rest in the arms of his love and care. Think of a young child in a tunnel with her father. She sees only darkness and his frightened. But he picks her up and carries her and promises her that soon it will be light again. She can’t see any light. She’s never been in that tunnel to know that there is light ahead. But she’s trusts her father. And he promises her that there is light. And that promise of light and the warm safe protection of her father is the light that gives her hope and calms her fears.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.

This is the source of that light that gives us hope and lightens the darkness of our lives--that the Word became flesh and lived among us. God did not stay in the light and glory of heaven. God left the place where there is no darkness to bring the light of heaven into the darkness of our world. And we have beheld his glory. We beheld is glory in a small babe crying in a manger. We behold his glory in the love we share when we obey his commandment that we “love one another has I have loved you” We behold his glory when we give a cup of water to a stranger, a loaf of bread to a hungry child, when we do an act of kindness for another without thought of reward. We behold his glory when we share his promise of light to another who is lost in the darkness.

No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.

No one has seen God, but because of Christmas, we know God. In the babe born in Bethlehem, God is among us and we have beheld his glory - the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. Because of Christmas we have seen his light, the light that shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it.
Amen