Daily Worship

Christ be our light.

Norah Summers March 28, 2016 0 0

John 1 1-14

The Word of Life

1 In the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 From the very beginning the Word was with God. 3 Through him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without him. 4 The Word was the source of life,[a] and this life brought light to people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out.

6 God sent his messenger, a man named John, 7 who came to tell people about the light, so that all should hear the message and believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came to tell about the light. 9 This was the real light—the light that comes into the world and shines on all people.

10 The Word was in the world, and though God made the world through him, yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own country, but his own people did not receive him. 12 Some, however, did receive him and believed in him; so he gave them the right to become God's children. 13 They did not become God's children by natural means, that is, by being born as the children of a human father; God himself was their Father.

14 The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father's only Son.

The year turns.
The days lengthen.
Lent is a long stretch.
We seem to have had a long time to think,
to examine our lives,
to look into the dark corners, 
to do a bit of spring-cleaning.

I remember being in Crete one Easter,
sitting in a small taverna,
watching the lady of the house 
as she did her meticulous pre-Easter cleaning,
up on a step-ladder,
polishing the light-bulbs.

Later, in a small chapel,
we would witness the wonderful midnight moment
when candles are lit, 
passed from person to person 
till it is almost as light as day,

And everyone shouts -
“Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed!”

In the beginning
there was darkness.
And God said
“Let there be light”
And there was light.

On Good Friday
there was darkness.
And on Easter Day
came the dawn, 
the new and glorious dawn
of the Day of Resurrection.

The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has never put it out.

Christ is risen!
Alleluia!

And nothing will ever be the same.