Lectionary: 16
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race...
When we celebrate someone's birthday we honor not only the individual for his attainment, we also honor the community that counts him as one of us. When we celebrate the Birth of the Son of God, we reconfirm the joy and dignity of our human nature in our world. We have a place and a right to be here.
Not without controversy, the Roman Catholic church shifted the celebration of Christ's birth from January 6 to December 25; and fastened the Solemnity to the winter solstice. The birth of Jesus represents the rebirth of life on Earth, and the regeneration of the human race. Because we recognize Jesus as the Son of the Lord God Almighty, creator of the universe and every creature therein, his birth and saving work belong to every creature.
In Saint John's declaration about Jesus -- "All things came to be through him" -- we find our own place and mission in God's world. There would be no galaxies or stars except for Jesus; there would be no Solar System around our Sun, nor an Earth among the planets, except for Jesus. There would be neither water, air, fire nor dirt except for Jesus; nor any plant, animal, fungal or cellular life except for Jesus. There would be no human being to walk the Earth, to admire the sky, play in the water, or ski on snowy mountain trails except for Jesus. All things came to be through him. There would be no family. clan or society for without him nothing came to be.
Saint John's teaching about Jesus reaffirms the place of Adam and Eve in the pristine sanctuary of Eden. Because Jesus is the first born of all creation, they are placed at its center, "in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it. We have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the earth.
Some people today have called into question our privileged place. Radical ecologists -- carried away by a very real concern -- wonder if the Earth would be better off without us. Isn't "man" the source of all Earth's evil? Wasn't the world a more pleasant place when it was "ruled" by dinosaurs?
They have a point. The human being, an essentially free creature with the ability to pervert everything it touches, threatens to destroy the Earth by willful stupidity. This "original sin" is far more apparent today than when Saint Augustine coined the phrase.
But Saint John assures us, "the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." Not even our crucifixion of Jesus can overcome that brilliant light.
Yes, God wants us to be here. The Father of Jesus has called us out of our sin to welcome the Son and his Blessed Mother into our hearts, homes, churches, neighborhoods, cities, states and world. So long as we celebrate Christmas we are assured of our rightful place in God's Universe.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.