The Tenth Day of Christmas: And The Word Became Flesh

And The Word Became Flesh

The Tenth Day of Christmas

Sunday, January 3, 2021

John 1.1-18

In the beginning.

That is how John’s gospel opens, mirroring the opening of Genesis. And so, on this Second Sunday of Christmas, we are invited to see Christmas as the beginning of a new creation.

In the beginning was the Word.

And Frederick Buechner reminds us that, in Hebrew, “word” and “deed” are the same word, dabar.

“Thus to say something,” Buechner explains, “is to do something.”

He speaks about the power of words, both God’s words and our own: “When God said, ‘Let there be light,’ there was light where before there was only darkness. When I say I love you, there is love where before there was only ambiguous silence. In a sense I do not love you first and then speak it, but only by speaking it give it reality.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

And through the Word came life and light. “By uttering himself,” says Buechner, “God makes God heard and makes God hearers.”

But the world didn’t recognize the light.

Even still, says Buechner, “God never seems to weary of trying to get across to us. Word after word God tries in search of the right word.”

And then “God tries flesh and blood.”

Buechner lists some of the failed experiments: “God tried saying it in Noah, but…. God tried saying it in Abraham, but…. God tried Moses, but....; tried David…. Toward the end of his rope, God tried saying it in John the Baptist....’’

“So God tried once more.”

And the Word became flesh.