A Poem a Sunday
Commentary: John takes a mystical approach to the origin of Jesus. No angels, no shepherds as in Luke and no Wisemen as in St. Matthew. Maybe it is time to de-sentimentalize this event and come to terms with 'God pitching God's tent among us.' Two poems are offered.
St. John 1:1-18 - NRSV
The Word Became Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life,[a] and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.[b]10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own,[c] and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,[d] full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son,[e] who is close to the Father’s heart,[f] who has made him known.
Footnotes:
a.John 1:4 Or 3 through him. And without him not one thing came into being that has come into being. 4 In him was life
b.John 1:9 Or He was the true light that enlightens everyone coming into the world
c, John 1:11 Or to his own home
d, John 1:14 Or the Father’s only Son
e. John 1:18 Other ancient authorities read It is an only Son, God, or It is the only Son
f. John 1:18 Gk bosom
A Poem a Sunday
Christmas - 2016
Incarnation
Christmas - 2016
Incarnation
He escaped from
oblivion.
He was the
first authentic man.
The Artist, now
art.
The Potter, now
sand.
Floating in
silence,
suspended,
confined.
Bleeding his
mother,
tearing through
the bind.
The lonely
trauma,
the naked God.
Made way a
corridor,
blasted man’s
facade.
Copyright @ A Poem a Sunday
May be used with permission.
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Away with the manger,
the stable, the tinsel,
the pretty round halo,
the shed full of twinkles,
the virgin’s blue bonnet,
and sweet smell of shepherds,
if these are the stories
the muffle the meaning of Christmas
and take all the bite out of birth,
the crisis from Christmas,
the bleeding of babies,
and the greatness of God
in that scared little girl
called Mary.
Away with the manger
if Christ is not seen
as the real in the raw,
as the boy left in straw,
as your God at your door
on the night he was born.
From Interro-bang by Norman Habel – Fortress Press
[Out of print but may find used copies online]
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