The Word…

In the beginning was the Word
    and the Word was with God
    and the Word was God.
The Word was with God in the beginning.
Everything came into being through the Word,
    and without the Word
    nothing came into being.
What came into being
    through the Word was life,
    and the life was the light for all people.
The light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light.
A man named John was sent from God. He came as a witness to testify concerning the light, so that through him everyone would believe in the light. He himself wasn’t the light, but his mission was to testify concerning the light.
The true light that shines on all people
    was coming into the world.
The light was in the world,
    and the world came into being through the light,
        but the world didn’t recognize the light.
The light came to his own people,
    and his own people didn’t welcome him.
But those who did welcome him,
        those who believed in his name,
    he authorized to become God’s children,
        born not from blood
        nor from human desire or passion,
        but born from God.
The Word became flesh
    and made his home among us.
We have seen his glory,
    glory like that of a father’s only son,
        full of grace and truth.
John testified about him, crying out, “This is the one of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than me because he existed before me.’”
From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace;
    as the Law was given through Moses,
    so grace and truth came into being through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
    God the only Son,
        who is at the Father’s side,
        has made God known. (John 1:1-18, CEB)

In the church, we have words that mean different things in different places and times, depending on context and what the person using that word is saying.

One of those words is Israel. When you read Israel in the Bible, you must discern if it means the country, the people, or the person. Remember Jacob wrestled with an angel and his name was changed to Israel, and God’s chosen people is Israel, and Israel is the country.

Another of these is church. Does Church mean the body of Christ, or a denomination, or a specific gathering of a community of believers, or the thing we go to on Wednesday/Saturday/Sunday? This is why I tell my children you can not go to church, you are the church, you go to worship, or study, or fellowship.

Another of those words is word. Does word mean the Bible, or does it mean Jesus?

I saw a video not that long ago that said Christianity is different from other Abrahamic religions in that Jesus is the word in Christianity, and the sacred scripture is the word in the others.

But as Christians, do we see the Bible as the word too, and if so, which is more the word we should listen to?

If we elevate the bible over Jesus, is that idolatry?

Jesus came and dwelt among us to show us love.

Jesus wants us to love.

When the Bible or religion gets in the way of Love, it is no longer the word and we should listen to Jesus.

Listen to Jesus.

Love.