John 1:1-18
The Word Became Flesh and Lived Among Us — Are We Paying Attention?
God is not remote but woven into our ordinary lives. The challenge of John's prologue is whether we will recognize and welcome the Divine presence right in front of us.
What If God Was One of Us?
"What if God was one of us?" sang Joan Osborne in 1995's impactful song, One of Us. I remember stories at the time of people phoning in to late-night radio to share stories — stories of seeing God in the simple acts of other people.
As a youth worker at the time, we invited young people to talk about the lyrics. If God had a name, what would it be? And would you call it to his face — or hers — if you were faced with him or her in all their glory? What would you ask if you had just one question?
It echoes John 1:
The Word became flesh and lived among us.
This is one of the most daring claims of our faith — mystery, wonder, and grounded action. God comes close, not in power but in human life.
God Intertwined in the World
John's prologue tells us the eternal Word, the very wisdom and mystery of God, takes on flesh and blood — not in theory but in Jesus, a person born in a particular place among a particular people, the itinerant carpenter from Nazareth.
John reminds us God is not far away but intertwined in the world, joining in the mess, in the beauty and struggle. This is what we celebrate at Christmas — not just a baby in a manger but the astonishing truth that in Jesus we see what God is like.
John says, "He was in the world, yet the world did not know him." There's wonder and heartbreak here. God shows up, but many miss it. In our noisy, crowded lives, we can overlook the Divine right there in front of us, let alone being aware of seeing the face of God in each other.
In the TV show Joan of Arcadia, God turned up as peers, old people, retail workers, or teachers. Would she hear? Would she understand and take it on board?
A Home for Everyone
Jeremiah spoke prophetically of a day when God's people would be gathered, restored, and led with joy: "They shall come and sing aloud. They shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord." John invites us to see that the home God makes is for everyone. Those who trust in Jesus are children of God — not by ancestry or power but by grace.
God Is Here — In All Times and Places
In the Australian summer Christmas, it feels different from the Northern Hemisphere imagery. We celebrate in heat, outdoors, around the barbecue, or at the beach. It reminds us the Word truly became flesh in all times and places. God is not confined to Bethlehem long ago or to the snow-covered hills.
God is here — in gum trees, bushfire regrowth, cicadas, our gatherings of family and friends, and in our new year.
Are We Paying Attention?
The challenge is to recognize and welcome God's presence and activity — to experience the breath of God in unexpected faces, in creation, in acts of compassion and justice. God is not remote but is woven into our world and our ordinary lives.
The Word became flesh and lived among us, full of grace and truth.
It's still happening. The question is: are we paying attention?