John 1:1-1-8 December 26, 2004 The Rev. Diane Livingston, Deacon Church of the Resurrection, Starkville, Mississippi This morning I invite you to consider two thoughts from the Gospel: one, that Jesus is the Light of the World and two, that Jesus actually came and lived in our world as a human being. "The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world." One had come before him named John, who was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. In Isaiah we read that the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. In Luke we read that the Lord's coming is proclaimed anew, "to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death." Advent and now Christmas are the seasons of light. Around us are all kinds of light: bright decorations on the street light posts, in stores and in homes. Even the moon has been particularly bright during recent days and these are the shortest ones of the year which put us in darkness more than at other times. From extravagant ways to simple ways, light is a way to mark something special at this time of year. It would be interesting to access whether many of those putting up lights in their homes or in offices or schools thought about the connection of the lights they use to decorate and Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. It is very apparent in churches where there is an Advent wreath: the wreath grows brighter and brighter each of the four weeks in Advent as additional candles are lit until Christmas eve and during these twelve days of Christmas when the Christ candle is also lit. Now the wreath shines the brightest of all because Jesus Christ has indeed come into the world and as we read in the gospel of John: 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 overcome it." When several from the church caroled recently, we carried candles and indeed these candles were the light as we stood in front yards and sang to those whom we visited. Whether in Christmas or not, light brings us comfort as you may remember when you were a young child or if you have been one to comfort a young child about his or her fear of the dark. Night lights or closet lights left on often bring comfort in those times when the dark is just too much to handle. Bill is one to use candles a lot; if you enter his office you will more than likely find a candle burning. A spiritual director whom I was very affected by used to suggest lighting a candle and having a specific area to sit in to help encourage regular prayer time with God. I can still hear her say, "The candle will help you to focus." I am certain that the rest of that sentence could be that the candle will help you focus on Jesus, the light of the world, who is going along with you whatever path your life journey is on right now." If I may share in a personal way, I remember that as a young adult who was also a new Episcopalian I was attending a special weekend conference about Christianity. I had never heard of a healing or unction service and when I attended my first one that weekend I experienced an intense awareness of God, of Christ and it was through the vehicle of tremendous light all around the altar in the chapel where I sat. I know that bright light is often associated with being in the presence of The Holy. Such occurrences have continued in my life and I am drawn to Light as a way I know Jesus. I have read that often as one is near death there are visions of great light; I find great comfort in this because I hear that as a sure indicator that even, or maybe I should say especially in death, Jesus/God is there, always leading us on and helping us through any hurdles that we may face. Of course, light is not the only reminder or indicator of the Christ. A dear friend of ours Dorothy Stout who lives in Vicksburg and who was a missionary to Japan for over 20 years and who was instrumental in helping an Episcopal school succeed there began to go blind at some point in her life. Her ears and her hands were her way of seeing the light of the world. One December she called and asked us to come see her collection of nativities once she got them out in her home which was a tremendous job for her. She would display them in her home during Advent and of course, not take them down until Epiphany. I have never seen the assortment of nativities as I did at her house - many of them reflecting the years of her life that she devoted to serving in Japan. During a recent telephone conversation with my brother, he commented that the Argentine wood piece that we gave him this year at the start of Advent, helped serve as a reminder to him about what the focus of the season is. You may remember that these wood pieces made by the northern Argentine Indians were sold in the parish during the early spring last year by our Canterbury students. Not one to make such comments, he shared that seeing the wood piece each day with the nativity scene made him think of Hope and Faith and Forgiveness and Mercy and he felt a special joy in this. Whether we make the connection of Jesus Christ with Light or some other symbol, the only way that any of these things is real to us and speaks to us of Jesus is that we know that Jesus became flesh and lived among the people of the land. Jesus is not just a myth or a story but a real, in the flesh man. Though none of us has seen God and of course none of us has seen Jesus because of the time in history that we live in, we do know that humans saw Jesus and lived in this world with him. We read in scripture that Jesus was born as a human being and no doubt participated in the joys and challenges of living in a family. He made friends and he interacted with those around him, some whom were against what he said and what he preached and some who found new life in him because of their experience with him. The only way that Jesus can be the light for us today is that we know that he did come among us. He knew great joy and he knew great sorrow and also he knew anger and pain and even death. Times are complicated and trying today; every period of time has its own challenges, I am sure. The celebration of Christmas each year does not cause other events in the world to go on pause: there is still war; people are displaced from their homes and are dying of hunger and aids and other things; those we love die, some even right at this time of Christmas; there is injustice and greed alive and active all around us; however Jesus can still be the Light because Jesus truly became flesh and lived among us. He came to be with us in our darkness and to brighten it with his own light! God did not stay distant from the people, remote and isolated; rather, in Jesus, God chose to live with humanity in the midst of human weakness, confusion, and pain. This bond holds for us today in the contemporary Christian community as well. To become flesh is to know joy, pain, suffering, and loss. It is to love, to grieve and someday to die. The coming of Jesus among us binds Jesus to the "everydayness" of human experience. In our Gospel reading today there is no manger, angels, and magi; rather the writer lets us know that Jesus coming among us makes the difference in the life of the world. We can be unafraid; we can hold our light of Christ out for ourselves and for others; we can know that there is absolutely nothing that can happen in our lives that Jesus will not enter to be with us as we go through the darkness; we can maybe understand a bit more how it is that we can call others - those very much like us and those very much unlike us - our Sisters or Brothers in Christ and know that doing so is very much like Jesus coming among us to be our Brother. Indeed the true light has come into the world in the flesh and lived among us and we need never be in darkness again. Jesus Christ, you are the LIGHT of the world; fill our minds with your peace and our hearts with your love.