Reading: John 1:1-18 Christmas 1C
December 31, 2000
The Rev. Karen Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Church, Cupertino CA,
How do we know that God exists? How do we know what God wills for humanity? How do we move from a place of darkness and fear to a place of light and love? God is not a human being who can send us a resume or zip off an e-mail to give us a few hints. However, in order for human beings to know God, God must communicate with us in some way. Since the beginning of creation, God has chosen not to remain silent. God speaks to us through creation, through dreams, through thoughts, through prophets, through people, through the heart, through holy scriptures. 2000 years ago, God spoke God's Word so strongly, that we say it became incarnate through the person of Jesus. In other words, the words and works of Jesus were identical to the words and works of God. This is known as the Christian doctrine of the Incarnation. The incarnation is a fancy theological term which means that God (without in anyway ceasing to be God) has revealed God's self to humankind by coming among us through a human being.
What I would like to talk about today, is the Incarnation: the Word made flesh. The incarnation means that human beings can see, hear, and know God in ways never before possible through the life of Jesus. For those of you who have told me that you still don't get "the Jesus thing", please listen carefully. I will be teaching this doctrine over and over again throughout my years as rector of this parish.
The gospel of John begins with the following words: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.All things came into being through him. In him was life and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it." Now notice the similarities between this description of God's Word at work in the world and the description of the creation story in the first chapter of Genesis: "In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth.God said, 'Let there be light'.and there was light. And God saw that the light was good and God separated the light from the darkness."
The author of the gospel of John wanted to make sure that his audience knew that the Word of God that became incarnate in Jesus, was the same Word of God that called into existence, the physical realm. This means that God has been communicating God's Word from the beginning of time- before Jesus birth, during Jesus' lifetime and after Jesus' death.
So what does all this incarnational theology mean for us on a practical level? It means that there is hope for humanity. Why is there hope? If humanity can now see, hear, and know God in ways never before possible through the words and works of Jesus and by becoming 'one' his spirit, then the human heart can be transformed with love. If we reject the teachings and spirit of Jesus, then the human heart will remain fearful, and humanity will continue to endure tremendous suffering and perhaps annihilation. Let me give you an example.
One of our elderly parishioners died on Friday. His name is Bai Do. Bai Do was a boat person who escaped from Vietnam in 1981. Because of his affiliation with the American Army, he and his family were captured in 1975 by the communists of North Vietnam and sent to a concentration camp. For six months, he and his son were placed in solitary confinement in a dark room and let out for only 5 minutes per day to go to the bathroom. For the next six months, they were shackled by the ankles in a room that sloped at an angle so that their heads would always be slanted downwards when they slept. The abuse was tremendous and it took several heroic attempts for the family to escape to freedom. How different their lives could have been had they been immersed in a society that took Jesus' commandment to heart: "Love one another, as I have loved you."
If you do not think that humanity needs to be saved from itself, if you do not think the world is still in darkness, if you do not think that misuse of power, cruelty, oppression, is alive and well, then I suggest you spend a few hours talking to Bai Do's family. When we become 'one' with the spirit and teachings of Jesus, then will the human heart be transformed. Cruelty will give way to compassion, fear will give way to love, greediness will give way to generosity, justice will reign, and the dignity of every human being will be respected. Jesus came to show us this way.
If the world is still dark, it is not because the Light of Christ is diminished. Rather, it is because people shield themselves from the Light. So in this season of Christmas, let us celebrate this Light that was revealed through Jesus, our savior and redeemer. "For the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it."