In the beginning was the Word
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God” (cf. Jn 1:1) By expressing them, God created the world and man in it. Saint John makes clear reference to this. Taking up the thread from the Book of Genesis in his prologue, he completes the meaning of this creation:
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 1:4-5)
The purpose of creation was to endow the life that was in the Word. The aforementioned darkness is a reminder of the darkness of sin that cuts us off from God and thus from the life-light. But darkness cannot completely embrace the light. The light that comes from God cannot be absorbed by darkness. But in the world, there is a peculiar drama of the fight between dark and light and a great waiting for true light.
Saint John, repeating the theme of creation, reveals its second part, which has just begun to be fulfilled through the coming of Jesus Christ into the world: “But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God”. (cf. Jn 1:12-13)
While in the first act of creation, God endowed the world and man with existence, without asking man himself about it, because he was not there yet, the new stage of gifting life through the Word depends on human choice, and concerns these: “to those who believe in his name… who were born of God.” (cf. Jn 1:12-13)
We are faced with the incredible mystery of "being born of God", which is contained in the phrase: "believe in His name". What does it mean to believe in His name? It must be made clear at the outset that in Hebrew, to believe means to entrust, to trust. The name, on the other hand, reveals the true essence of the person. Believing in His name, therefore, means really accepting as truth that Jesus is the Word of God, that He is the Light in which there is life, and Jesus gives this life to whomever He wills. The Lord Jesus says this truth many times in the Gospel of St. John: Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God(cf. Jn 3:18; see 3:36; 6:40,47; 11: 25, 12:46).
Therefore, our belonging to God and our participation in him depend on faith. First Epistle of St. John reveals to us the tragedy of this belonging. As we can see already in the first century, there were deviations from God that testified to the lack of true belonging. Saint John writes: They went out from us, but they were not really of our spirit, if they had been, they would have remained with us. Their desertion shows that none of them was of our spirit (1Jn 2:19)
Spirit decides proper belonging. At this point, the translators use the word "spirit" written in a small letter, which simply means the human spirit, that is, what drives a person here and now, gives his life dynamism. In other words - how a person lives, what is truly valuable to him, what is his real hope and for what he strives. The level of authenticity in living in God, which is another term for believing in His name, determines the true belonging to God or the lack of such belonging. You may consider yourself one "of Christ's disciples" but not really be that disciple. I am afraid that there are many attitudes among Christians that indicate a lack of genuine trust in God. This also applies to consecrated persons and is then extremely tragic. Not only that, many of these people seem to be good "believers", loudly declare their faith or even flaunt it, but they do not have this spirit in them. Saint John clearly writes in his letter: “Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness” (cf. 1Jn 2:9)
Each of us must ask ourselves whether we really are a disciple of Christ, or whether we do belong to Christ's disciples only externally. It all depends on the authenticity of the faith, understood not as holding up to a doctrine, certain expressions - although this can sometimes be an expression of true faith and may even be necessary for witnessing - but as an authentic entrustment to the law of Christ, the law of love, a true openness to it that He may mold us. On our part, it is necessary to decisively follow Christ and not anything else. It always requires the courage to stand in the truth, even though it may not suit us sometimes, it can be a very difficult truth. But opening oneself to this difficult truth is a testimony to the authenticity of entrusting to His name, being born of the truth.
Each of us has access to the truth and can recognize it. The tragedy is that we often do not follow it, but look for other paths, try to defend the untruth, prove to ourselves and others that it is different than it is ... There is a whole complex game of appearances, untruths. The truth, on the other hand, is silent, it does not engage in polemics or arguments with lies. How much energy do we waste on justifying ourselves, creating appearances! After all, we do know the truth, or at least sense it. How difficult it is for us to consistently open ourselves to it. But only such openness constitutes true faith in His name. After all, he is the Word and the Truth.
“But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name”. (cf. J 1:12).
More needs to be said: only those who have received him have the power to become children of God. May it really take place in us.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george