There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. Such a simple, short introduction to one of the most recognizable, and arguably important, characters in the gospel story. Two things, however, that stand...
Advent
posted by DJL
I am a big fan of W. H. Auden’s poem For the Time Being. It’s more than a poem, of course, it’s a dramatic narrative, a poetic play, formally called an Oratorio. In fact, it’s called a Christmas Oratorio. And while I’ve always thought it reads a little better after Christmas –...
John 1:5
posted by DJL
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. This, I think, is one of the most poignant lines in Scripture. It first offers an affirmation about the light. The light of the Word, the light of Jesus, shines in the darkness, illuminating, bringing hope, making...
Can We Talk About Ferguson?
posted by DJL
Can we talk about Ferguson? And now Staten Island? I won’t be surprised if you’re not sure you want to keep reading. It’s hard stuff – unpleasant and, perhaps more to the point, divisive. I myself have friends on all sides of the spectrum of attitudes about the grand jury decisions, about the protests that followed, and about the state of race relations in our country. Which is why so many of us would be just as happy to avoid talking about this in general and most certainly at church. But there’s more than one way to talk about an issue, and I’d like to invite us to think about another tact. Might we, for instance, talk with...
John 1:3b-4
posted by DJL
What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. There is, John says, a point to the universe. That is a debatable conclusion these days. Theories about the beginning of the cosmos, evidence of an expanding universe, the discovery of dark matter, and so on...