Week 3: Be Amazed
Wednesday Dec 20
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.
John 1:1-8
Approaching the Advent and Christmas seasons this year feels very different for our family as we anticipate the birth of our son. It’s possible we’ll be holding him by the time you’re reading this entry!
I’m trying to open my heart to experience this waiting in parallel with the holy waiting of Advent - feeling (quite literally) very pregnant with expectation and the various discomforts that come with that state, in addition to the excitement and eagerness. How special would it be to feel this connection to the birth of our Savior and the experience of Mary in this season?
I have to say, I’m finding it hard to get in that mindset - even getting in the mindset of writing this entry has been a challenge. I’m reading the words of John 1 and feeling so scattered and tired that it’s hard for me to access them in a meaningful way. But maybe my limited ability to understand is … part of the point?
John 1 introduces the Gospel in a different way from the other Gospels which start out by sharing Jesus’ lineage, the story of John the Baptist, and Jesus’ birth. Instead, John jumps right into a summary of the entire Gospel truth - this profound revelation of Jesus, the Word, and God existing as One and as separate entities, and their existence in the beginning of all things. True to the themes of the rest of the book of John, he then chooses to focus on the very nature of God and the Word - the source of life and light. We are reminded here of the omnipotence and omnipresence of the Savior. It’s hard for us to wrap our minds around this kind of truth (I don’t think that’s just me and my pregnancy brain!), and I’m humbled here by the fact that, while we get an idea of God’s character in John’s Gospel and other parts of the Word, there is just no human way for us to truly conceptualize all of God’s awesome power.
And then, somehow, the great Creator and source of all life is sent to us as a baby boy - in a package that we are better able to comprehend. Jesus wants us to know God so much that He demonstrates and describes for us, over and over again, more insight into God’s character. He uses miracles and parables and simple words to reach us. I’m struck by the contrast of this prologue to John, where we get just a little glimpse of the awe-inspiring truth of who Jesus is, and the gentle, simple ways that our Savior taught us truth while He walked the earth.
I pray that we all might gain a new and fresh understanding of God’s character as we remember and honor the beautiful way in which God sent His Son to us.
How might Jesus be revealing more of God’s character to you this season?
Memory Passage
The wolf shall live with the lamb;
the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
the calf and the lion will feed together,
and a little child shall lead them.
— Isaiah 11:6
Weekly Practice
Go on a walk in a familiar place. As often as you can, stop and look up. Pay attention to details you usually miss.
Spend time looking at the night sky and stars. Offer a prayer of gratitude to God.
Look back at the list of joys from Week Two. Do something on that list!