By Revd Katie Smith, Presbyter, United Stockport Circuit and Mission Area Lead for Greater Manchester Plus
Reading : John 1 v. 9
Notes:
When she was still at primary school, my daughter asked me a deep question about colours. She said “I know this is orange because it reflects the orange part of the sun’s light for our eyes to see, but what colour is this when it is in the dark?” The answer is that in true darkness, nothing has any colour – it is a property that only exists in the presence of light. Ultimately the sun is the source of light and therefore colour in our world.
In this verse, John talks of Christ as the true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. We might imagine an enormous dazzling light like the sun coming, but this verse is more subtle than that.
John has already proclaimed that Christ, the word, was with God at creation and indeed is God, and that all things, including us, were made through Christ. We know that we humans are flawed and complex, and our news is often filled with reports of the ways in which we mess up. But human life is also beautiful – we love and share, we care for one another, we laugh and mourn together, and it is when we are doing this that we recognise a reflection of God’s love that is an intrinsic part of our make-up – our image-of-Godness.
When we read this verse then, we recognise that Christ is the source of all the love and goodness that lifts us above instinct and mere survival and offers us the fullness of human experience. It is this light that was coming – the source of all goodness coming amongst flawed humanity.
Wonder:
Think about how turning on a light allows colours to be seen. How do we work with God to help the light of his love bring out the goodness in our communities?
Prayer:
Imminent God, as we prepare to celebrate again your coming into our human world, open our eyes to see the reflections of your life-light of love in those we love, in those we struggle to love and in ourselves. Thank you that in you we see the example of perfect love. O come to us again Emmanuel. Amen