John The Baptist's Message At Christmas

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth"
John 1:14

The Christmas story we are so familiar with is the baby Jesus in the manger and adorned by gifts from the Maji.  John is offering us another way of looking at the birth of Christ; as an incarnation of spirit into flesh.  The word.  And not the first time.  In John 1:1 we are reminded that the word is God and the world came from the word.  

Powerful stuff.  

From a Quaker perspective what appeals to me is that the spirit of Christ in us lives in our word and His word.  God made creation and he saw that it was good.  The essential goodness of the world is not something apart from God as if spirit and flesh are two separate and distinct things.  They are one.  And the beauty of the new covenant with humanity is that the word is right there -- ready at hand -- to invoke, the use, to empower and to hold as sacred. 

There is one caveat ... we have been given free will and it is up to us to embrace it.  

My query for this Christmas day is this: How can I as a Quaker and a Christian make flesh the word of God in me?  

Lucky for us we have the practice of integrity to guide us. It is a way to keep us "trued up" to what really matters.  As a cyclist this word "trued up" has special meaning for me.  When a tire goes out of round a bicycle can easily lose its integrity.  And this sense of the word integrity is super helpful.  The meaning of whole and complete and in working order.  Is my word in working order?  Am I operating whole and complete to my word?  In the sense of John 1:1 what am I creating in the world with my word?  Is it good?  Would it be recognized by the God of creation? 

Yes, powerful stuff. 

Merry Christmas my fellow human beings.  Peace, joy and word of God in you !!

~ Joseph Olejak