While John is our fourth Gospel, it begins with an echo of Genesis: In the Beginning... This is the phrase that establishes Christ's spiritual place as being with God... and being God. He was the Word ... this is the creative force that calls things into being, that establishes earth, sky, sun, and moon. The one to arrange life and give it breath. The Word is God. How strange to read this in our day and understand the language. The word "word" brings about ideas of writing, speaking, and what we use to convey ideas. But to leave John's meaning now, even as we consider words as we know them, consider the power they carry. They can inspire people to do amazingly good and creative things or bring whole nations to act in unspeakably evil ways. They can form relationships, and they can destroy them. The old phrase our mothers taught us when we were young: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me..." is a lie. A broken bone heals much quicker sometimes than a broken relationship. We must understand the power of a word. Use them wisely.
Readings: Judges 11:1-12:5; John 1:1-28; Psalms 101:1-8; Proverbs 14:13-14
