Living in the Light - John 1: 1-5

There is something about slowing down, lighting a candle, and watching its flame flicker in the darkness that is seemingly beyond words. Over the years, some people have tried to capture what candle light means to them. One author declared, “the very act of lighting a candle is a prayer” - a prayer that expresses what our voice and thoughts cannot. Another said, “we light a candle to remember that God is here with us.”

And is that not what we have gathered together this evening to proclaim - Emmanuel - God with us. While the Gospel of John doesn’t give a traditional version of the accounts surrounding Jesus’ birth, it is of upmost importance to our spiritual lives. John doesn’t begin his Gospel account with the earthly things - barns, birth, and babies. He begins it with the Heavenly things - the Word and Light. John doesn’t care to trace Jesus’ genealogy or to speak about his Earthly parents. Instead he reminds us of God-incarnate, God who has been with us before time even began. God who choose to leave behind his power and prestige in order to bring up hope and life eternal.

John connects his audience to the beginning, to Genesis, where we read that “in the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.” But he goes even further, “in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” The Word of God and God the Word are the totality of the beginning and the end. The Alpha and the Omega. God always was and always will be.

Yet for one moment in human history, God came to humanity in the form of Jesus Christ, his son who was God and was with God from the very beginning. Its almost too much for our human minds to grasp, so John speaks to our hearts through poetry. God is described as the Word, the logos, that entered into human history and time and acted on our behalf. Who came to save us in the most unexpected of ways. He came to draw us near. To bring us life.

Christ alone is life-giving. He breaths life and brings about light. When there is only darkness, physically or spiritually, there is chaos. We cannot see. We don’t know what to do. We don’t know who we are. And even though the forces of darkness and chaos are among us today, we have a hope in the Light of Christ. 

A light that we remember this evening. A hope that Christ will never be overcome by the darkness. A light that we live in the midst of each and every day. We are drawn to the light of Christ as we see the light of candles. With every dance of the flame we once again renew our yearning to find life and hope and strength in Christ, the Word became flesh. We invite Christ into the chaos of our lives and ask him to ignite our hearts for him. 

As we look around at flickering candles we remember that we did not create the light, we simply shine it for others. We simply wait together this evening, in hopeful expectation for the one who spoke light and life into being. The same one who came to dwell among us as the Light of the World. The same one who is with us this evening and every day who lights our path, drawing us closer to God.

Sitting on my desk at home is a Willow Tree figure. She is holding out a single, lit candle and bears the name “Angel of Hope”. How appropriate. For surely we find hope in the light of the Lord and are called to bear that light to others. The hope of God with us. The hope that we find this evening in the Gospel of John. 

May we go forth brothers and sisters, shining the light of Christ. Singing of his love and life with our voices. Asking him to light our hearts anew. Go forth and live in the Light of Christ.  Amen.