Today's Feature Presentation
A reading for Monday, January 13, 2014: John 1:1-18
At the beginning of John's gospel, the story of Jesus Christ, John wants to locate us in the story. Picture a movie. Before the title of the movie flashes across the screen moving us into a new story, there are sometimes a few minutes of locating. Perhaps there are things we need to know first, before we can understand the rest. Maybe like a television show that begins, "Previously on..."
John wants us to remember the very beginning. John wants us to think of Genesis as our location. "In the beginning..." and "light and darkness." These words are not just suspended in air, cosmic ways of opening a book. These words are designed to connect us to all that has already happened in the story of God and creation. God created the world in seven days and rested. "The Word became flesh and dwelled among full of grace and truth." It's the same story.
Our culture values what is new. If something is not new, created out of nothing and presented to us as the latest and best innovation possible, it does not seem to have any worth. Sometimes I hear Christians wonder if there is even any value in reading the Old Testament at all. It seems only the New Testament would have any bearing on our faith. The New Testament is the innovation?
John would disagree. John wants to locate the story of Jesus Christ. John wants us to know that our story is part of the story of the world since the very beginning. It's an ancient story. However, it's also a story that continues to evolve and move ahead even now. Jesus lives among us. The story is relevant still today. Ours is a story that transcends time.
John's story is for the young and for the old. It's for new cultures and old cultures. The story lives among those that are new to the faith and those that have lived a lifetime of faith. It's as old as the universe and as new as the next moment of your life.
Today's feature presentation: The good news of Jesus Christ according to John! Thanks be to God.
At the beginning of John's gospel, the story of Jesus Christ, John wants to locate us in the story. Picture a movie. Before the title of the movie flashes across the screen moving us into a new story, there are sometimes a few minutes of locating. Perhaps there are things we need to know first, before we can understand the rest. Maybe like a television show that begins, "Previously on..."
John wants us to remember the very beginning. John wants us to think of Genesis as our location. "In the beginning..." and "light and darkness." These words are not just suspended in air, cosmic ways of opening a book. These words are designed to connect us to all that has already happened in the story of God and creation. God created the world in seven days and rested. "The Word became flesh and dwelled among full of grace and truth." It's the same story.
Our culture values what is new. If something is not new, created out of nothing and presented to us as the latest and best innovation possible, it does not seem to have any worth. Sometimes I hear Christians wonder if there is even any value in reading the Old Testament at all. It seems only the New Testament would have any bearing on our faith. The New Testament is the innovation?
John would disagree. John wants to locate the story of Jesus Christ. John wants us to know that our story is part of the story of the world since the very beginning. It's an ancient story. However, it's also a story that continues to evolve and move ahead even now. Jesus lives among us. The story is relevant still today. Ours is a story that transcends time.
John's story is for the young and for the old. It's for new cultures and old cultures. The story lives among those that are new to the faith and those that have lived a lifetime of faith. It's as old as the universe and as new as the next moment of your life.
Today's feature presentation: The good news of Jesus Christ according to John! Thanks be to God.
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