A Week in Words

I just finished a week in words.  Words spoken.  Words heard.  Words written.  Words read.  Public words.  Private words.  Published words.  Pressing words and blessing words.  Words that profit.  Words that cost.  Sacred words.  Mundane words.  Words of sickness.  Words of healing.  Sweet words.  And a few salty ones.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and what God was, the Word was.

John doesn’t tell us that Jesus is the Word.  He gives us no list of characters or an asterisk and footnote to let us know that Jesus equals the Word.  He just does it.  Decades after Jesus left him physically, but still, and even more so, in his presence through the Spirit, John has reflected on the life of Jesus – from birth to ascension, stories that we know, and stories that John knows but doesn’t tell – and calls Jesus the Word.  Not the way.  Not the truth.  Not the life.  Those will come later, and Jesus uses them and others of himself.  But John calls Jesus the Word.  Why? And why does it matter?

Some say the Word is a Greek, philosophical concept.  Others say that it’s a Hebrew idea, like the words of a prophet. Maybe. But I think John answers this question for us if we look closely.  He continues, The Word was with God in the beginning.  All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.  Words create.  Words bring ideas into existence.  Words are the closest thing I have experienced to creating something out of nothing.  In fact, it is possible that this sentence has never been written before.  It now exists.  Seconds ago, it did not.  I heard a really smart lady on NPR assert that thoughts do not exist without words, so children cannot think until they have words.  My wife, wanting to believe that our children have been brilliant from birth, disagreed, but I told her that NPR doesn’t lie.

Jesus is a creator.  He creates followers and disciples.  He creates healing and peace.  He creates neighbors out of enemies.  He creates light and life.  He creates joy where there should be only sorrow.  He creates courage and boldness where there should be only fear.  He creates freedom where there should be only bondage.  He creates brokenness where there should be only pride. He creates his people. We come to him with nothing, empty handed, and he goes to work.  It was [Christ] who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ.  He not only creates his people, he creates their unity.  For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.  For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female – for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

We should not be surprised by this.  Words, after all, brought everything into existence.  Our universe did not arise from blood spilled in a battle between the gods but by words spoken.  John is telling us that this has not changed.  Words marked the advent of creation, and the Word marked the advent of re-creation.  It is then the nature of Jesus to create.  Depression, addiction, fear, guilt, shame, lust, pride, anger, idolatry.  These are not obstacles for this creative Word.  They are materials.  This Jesus who in love accepts our divided devotion and fragile faith has not and will not stop creating.  So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away – look, what is new has come!