Tuesday, December 31, 2013

In the Octave of Christmas ... New Years Eve

Dear Fathers, Brothers, Sisters in Christ,


1 John 2:18-21
 Psalm 96:1-2, 11-12, 13
 John 1:1-18


 
The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Amongst Us. . . .

 While we often focus on images of the infant Christ in the manger, the visit of wise men, and all of those elements of the story that help to bring Christmas home to us, John, with his usual straightforward theological approach gets right to the point. The stable, the angels, the star, the wise men, Herod, all of that fades into insignificance when one strips away the surface and gazes directly on what lies underneath: God became human.

 God entered directly into human experience. Never again would we be able to complain that God just "didn't get" what it was like to be human. In becoming human, He also raised humanity to divinity--He declared definitively that humanity was a good work, a fine work, a work that was beautiful and meaningful, but also a work in need of a little (or a lot of) polish. Jesus showed us what it was to be human, and also how to allow the light within to shine out to all.

 The Word, through whom we came into being, became flesh and He dwelt among us. He loved us as God; He showed us that love in His human form. He sacrificed all to make known to each of us our fundamental importance. That infant, beautiful as He is to contemplate, is God, passionately in love with each one of us.

 My best wishes to you and yours for the coming year.

 Father Ed Bakker
 Anglican Catholic Church / Original Province
 Mission of Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne
 Bendigo
 Australia