As we turn the page on 2024 and head into 2025, I’ve enjoyed getting back to basics with my spiritual pursuits. For the past week or more, I’ve been meditating on the first chapter of John’s gospel. It has just been me and the text as I’ve sought to re-experience it for the “first time”.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. The Word was with God in the beginning. All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. And the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it. (John 1:1-5)

John’s opening has always struck me as so aesthetic. He is introducing us to the Word, the One who has created the Universe. This Word was right there with God, and he was the one doing the creating. In Genesis 1:3-4, we read that God spoke light into existence, and this light was good, separating light from darkness. John is making more clear what was going on way back when God created everything. It was the Word who was there doing the creating.

But just as John is revealing to us a bit more about what was going on back in the very beginning, those first few lines leave things still a bit hazy to me. I want to read on and see how he decides to direct my attention. So far, I’ve been introduced to the Word as well as the theme of light and darkness. For now, I’ll leave a bookmark here and continue my ruminations next time…