ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS
“Children, it is the last hour…” - 1 Jn 2:18a
In our first reading, John councils an early Christian community. Despite John’s assurance of God’s anointing, these Christian must defend against antichrists and have been deserted in their hour of need. This bleak scene could be a metaphor for 2016. Despite the excitement of New Year’s parties and countdowns to midnight, many of us feel like we are limping (or merely crawling) into 2017. Lots of us are tired and still reeling from the disappointments and sadness of 2016. We seem to have lost so many of those we love and in the cold long dark nights of winter it can feel like “the end.”
But today’s Gospel reminds us of God’s promise to us, in Christ.
"In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it." - Jn. 1:5
In Christ we have been given Life, to be the light of the human race. It is this light that shines through the darkness and shall not be overcome. It is also the small spark of hope knowing that, with God’s help, tomorrow can be a little brighter.
God of our beginning and our endings
Christ of our past, present, and future
As we enter the darkness of midnight,
Help us to remember your grace and truth
At the dawn of a new day
Amen
Sable Manson
Photo Credit: https://pixabay.com/en/new-year-s-eve-sparkler-sylvester-1283521/