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“And the Word became flesh and lived among us…”
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On this Christmas Day, John’s Gospel (1:1-14) gives us no manger, no shepherds, no star. Instead, John takes us to the very beginning – before Bethlehem, before creation itself. “In the beginning was the Word.” John wants us to understand that the child laid in the manger is not simply a baby born into the world, but the eternal Word of God who has spoken life, light, and love from the dawn of time.
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And yet this same eternal Word does something astonishing: He becomes flesh. He steps into our ordinary human experience – into our limitations, our questions, our joys, and our griefs. He does not remain distant or abstract. He “moves into the neighbourhood,” as the Message Bible translation puts it, choosing to dwell right where we are.
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This is the heart of Christmas: God comes close. Closer than we dare to imagine. The light that shone at creation now shines into our lives, into our world. Yet we shouldn’t simply admire the mystery of the Incarnation but are invited to receive it. “To all who received Him… He gave power to become children of God.” Christmas is not just something we observe; it is something we welcome – a gift that reshapes who we are and how we live.
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As we celebrate today, may we allow the Word-made-flesh to speak again into our lives: light where we feel overwhelmed, grace where we feel unworthy, and hope where we need courage for the days ahead.
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Christ has come. Emmanuel – God is with us.
And that changes everything.
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chaplain.maria@anglican.fi
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(I am on leave from 26th December until 2nd January. During this time please contact Fr Parvez Gill with any urgent matters at parvez.gill@anglican.fi)
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