"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" When John the Baptist "appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins," he announced the imminent coming of the Lord Jesus in these words: "After me comes He who is mightier than I am, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop and untie" (Mk. 1:4, 7).
This passage reminds me of a book I read many years ago entitled “Black Like Me” by John Howard Griffin. The book begins with these lines: “ For years the idea had haunted me, and that night it returned more insistently than ever. If a white man became a Negro in the Deep South, what adjustment would he have to make? What is it like to experience discrimination based on skin colour, something over which one has no control”
After speaking to several of his friends Mr. Griffin decided to go ahead with his adventure. It was dangerous he chemically darkened his skin to pass as a Negro. He crossed over the racial line, walked, talked and lived in the Deep South of the United States as a black man experiencing unimaginable dehumanization and this experience led him to write the book “Black Like Me”
At Christmas, we rejoice in the gospel Truth that "The greatest cross over of all time" occurred when, as the apostle John tells us in today's Lesson, The Word became flesh and dwelt among us and if we were to write our own headline, it might read, God became one of us to tell us how much he loves us. God’s love took on flesh. This was permanent solution not temporarily experiment.
A daughter, who came back home from college for Christmas vacation, was standing with her mother at the checkout counter of a discount store. Mother had selected a toy for the dog, an artificial wreath for the door and a package of "logs" for the fireplace. "Do you realize what you're doing?" the daughter asked. "You are buying a fake bone, a fake wreath and some fake logs." And, as the mother presented the clerk with a credit card, the daughter added, "But that's all right since you're paying for them with plastic money." The wonderful thing about our Christmas awareness is that everything takes on new meaning -- even the fake logs and the plastic money.
We can see the Christ Presence in every sparkling ornament on every tree; in every flicker of every candle; in every red poinsettia bloom; in every note of beautiful Christmas music; in every "Merry Christmas" wish; in every pair of hands offering and receiving gifts. And together now, as brothers and sisters in Christ, we can see Him in every blessed moment of this worship experience.
At Christmas, enemies at war declare a temporary truce, as if it were somehow more indecent to kill each other on December 25th. At Christmas, people extend warm greetings and offer presents to family members and friends. At Christmas, there is an unusual display of caring and affection by many people.
At Christmas, the suffering of the sick and the condition of the lonely seem less acceptable than on other days. At Christmas, it seems that almost everyone wants to contribute to the success of the festive holiday. At Christmas, more than on any other day it seems, people need the kind of festive spirit that brings peace and light into their lives.
Indeed, at Christmas, more than at any other time of year, something comes to life deep within us and gives us light -- not in the form of easy answers to our anxious questions about evil and suffering and death, but in the form of an Infant, born in a stable, in a town called Bethlehem, two thousand years ago.
There was a man named Nicodemus in John's Gospel. Nicodemus, was a scholar, a man of eminence and authority among the Jews, he came to see Jesus by night. Perhaps he wanted a long and revealing conversation, away from the crowds that were following Jesus.
Perhaps he feared that if he went by day he might be seen by those fellow Pharisees who already regarded Jesus as their enemy. But, whatever the reason, we do not know. Any way, what Nicodemus himself said in his conversation with Jesus is not often quoted. Yet he gave an unforgettable description of Jesus when he said to Him: We Know That You Are A Teacher Come From God (Jn. 3:2). This Teacher who came from God was a Specialist. He taught only one subject.
Although it lasts a lifetime, the entire Course can be reduced to just three words: God is love. "God is Love."
What happens when the words "God is Love" enter and dominate the core of a person's being to such a degree that they are transformed into the experience of God as Love? (Mr. John Howard Griffins’ experience).
Charles Dickens, who understood this better than most novelists, has given us many illustrations, the most notable of which is the character Ebenezer Scrooge. On the day before Christmas, Scrooge was, even for him, in a particularly ugly mood.
Ebenezer Scrooge had the heart of a stone. He was not interested in what human beings were actually worth, but only in what they were worth to him. Everyone who encountered him was chilled and uncomfortable, and his departure brought a sense of relief. Yet, although everyone who met him was ill at ease, he was more unhappy than they.
Ebenezer Scrooge could not escape from himself. But in a dream that Christmas Eve, by the Grace of God Scrooge discovered new life. He was born again! When he opened the window in the morning, the face of the world had changed. He thought it was a beautiful day. He saw a boy crossing the street and he thought he was a marvelous boy.
His daily life became filled with vitality. Casual passersby on the street greeted him with a smile, called forth by his own radiant manner. And this is only the beginning of what happens when the love-lesson of the Light of the World enters and dominates the core of one's being!
At Christmas, the "God Is Love" Course comes to life, in the Person of the Lord Jesus. At Christmas, in the Presence of our "Teacher come from God," we measure our progress in the Course. The apostle John has given us a test that is at once simple and infallible. At Christmas, we prepare for our final examination to be conducted by the teacher himself:
The most wonderful, the most glorious, the most eventful visit ever made was when God crossed over to our side. God’s love stooped low and took on flesh in the form of an Infant, in a stable, in the Town of Bethlehem. There, God became one of us to tell us how much He loves us.
May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your
heart, and mind through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Rev. Samuel King-Kabu
January 2, 2005