Can You See the Light?
Christmas homily based on John 1:1-14
by Rev. F. Schaefer

I don't need to tell you that we are celebrating Christmas Day today; today marks the beginning of the Christmas season which extends to Epiphany, according to our church calendar. On this morning of the 2001st Christmas since the beginning of the common era, John invites us to explore the mysteries of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, coming to dwell among us.

What we heard read is the beginning of the gospel of John. Unlike the other gospel writers, John is setting a unique stage for the birth of Jesus: it is a cosmic event. Only in John, do we get to see behind the theological scenes - the events that are usually hidden from the natural eye. The logos or Word, which is true God of true God, true Light of true Light comes to dwell in the world. It reads like something from Star Trek. If we were to capture this in a film scene, we would perhaps portray a shooting star coming down to earth. John's next scene portrays John the Baptist announcing Jesus the messiah. No Joseph and Mary, no baby Jesus, no shepherds and wisemen in this gospel version. Jesus's beginning is shrouded in historical mystery. Yet, at the same time, it is expressed with theological brilliance.

Some scholars believe that the beginning of John's gospel had a lot to do with the fact that we celebrate Christmas at this time of year. The early church theologians decided to honor Christ's birth at around the time of the winter solstice--the time of year when the nights are the longest in the entire year. The long winter nights help us remember that we need the Light of the world to come into our darkness once again; we need the Word of God to speak into the chaos of our lives to restore order and peace.

John tells us that Jesus was born like a light shining in a dark world. Doesn't that make you wonder how much darker the world could have possibly been then compared to now? We tend to think that this past century was worse than any other before: more people have been killed in wars, and in religious persecution, and in so-called ethnic cleansing than in any other period in recorded history. Perhaps it could be said that factoring in the world population-to-sin ratio, we're still coming out on top compared to the time before Christ's birth.  Perhaps it could even be said that things would have been much worse today had Christ not come to us. However, we are in still in dire need for God's Light to break through!

One of the reasons why the darkness persists in our world is stated by John: "He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him." (11) Even though several millions of us Christian folk inhabit the earth, the world is still a place of darkness. According to John, the vast majority of the world population has not accepted God's messiah. And even though he acknowledges that many individually accepted him and became children of God, they are still in the minority.

But consider the good news for those who do accept God's Word:

John 1:11-13: "He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God."

Children of God--we are the children of Light. We, the church of Christ, need to recover this message that we are the children of Light in a world of darkness! We are bearers, like the herald angels, of a promise of great Joy! Like John the Baptist, so we are to be voices crying in the wilderness.

The Christmas message of the gospel of John could be rephrased into a personal question: "Can you see the Light? Can you see it dawning?"

Christ's Light is already shining, but not all can see it yet." That's were we come in. As the popular carol puts it: "Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere...that Jesus Christ is born."

The darkness of this world has not yet been dispelled. However, the light of Christ is still shining, small as it seems. And God promised that His light will never be extinguished, and that, in fact, it will one day illuminate the entire world. Merry Christmas everyone!