John 1:10-18 (NRSV)
Read John 1:10-18 on biblegateway.com
Verse 10He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. Verse 11He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. Verse 12But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, Verse 13who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. Verse 14And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.
Verse 15(John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") Verse 16From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. Verse 17The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Verse 18No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.
Devotion
Our faith journeys are sometimes journeys of little steps and long slides. Sometimes this journey is like being carried along by a full river. Sometimes it is like walking in a dark room, waiting to knock our shins against the coffee table. The details of the journey are different for all of us. But on the way we are constantly discovering something new about God and who God is for us and for the world. Often times we walk looking down so as not to stub a toe or trip over a root; we swim with our eyes turned to the shore and safety; or we journey with our hands out in front fumbling to find a safe path.
In all of these acts we are often only looking out for our own safety and failing to trust God. Only when we look up can we see what God wants us to see. Only when we swim with the flow of love can we arrive rested and ready to do that which God has called us to do. Only by walking boldly in the dark will we recognize the light.
Prayer
In this New Year, Lord, help me to be more aware of my surroundings, to be more sensitive to where you are calling and, more importantly, help me find my voice to speak out against injustice. Amen.