Epiphany…appearance, manifestation, Word made flesh Jan 6th is celebrated as Epiphany which is the time that is traditionally used to mark the ending of Advent when Jesus was revealed to the three kings.  So, today it is appropriate to pause for a moment and remember that Jesus was revealed to the world as King “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” However, my favorite translation of John 1:14 is from the Message “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” I think a lot of us understand the “becoming flesh & blood” part, but what about Jesus “moving into the neighborhood”? The neighborhood that Jesus entered into was broken, hurting and in desperate need of a future and a hope. However, I contrast that with the neighborhood I moved into.  Honestly, my neighborhood looks…well, opposite of that. My neighborhood has wide streets for the kids to play in, a community pool, a neighborhood watch and regulations to make sure I quickly fix the door on my mailbox so it doesn’t become an eyesore. I am not saying any of these things are bad or that people shouldn’t enjoy such things (we should all enjoy such things). I am just reflecting my actions and those of this King because if I am to be the foreshadowing of a coming Kingdom maybe it is time that I also “moved into a neighborhood” that is in desperate need of a future and a hope. A month ago I began asking people why they chose to live in the house they currently occupy. The answers were very interesting… “it had three bedrooms” “it was a great neighborhood” “the property value was increasing” “great school district” …all of these things are great, but what I did notice was the lack of answers related to “because it was a neighborhood in need and I wanted to help.” This included my own response to the question I asked. Epiphany…appearance, dwelling, presence, neighborhood. maybe…just for a moment (in a very safe place) we could consider how our communities would change if we were the present foreshadowing of this coming Kingdom in the neighborhoods of our community that are in desperate need of a future and a hope. E. Stanley Jones once wrote “The Word must become flesh or the Word is a vast question mark.” Thankfully, the Word did become flesh and now there is hope. The question is now to us today. How does the Word become flesh and blood in our small corner of the world? Maybe it means we “move into the neighborhood”?

Epiphany…appearance, manifestation, Word made flesh

Jan 6th is celebrated as Epiphany which is the time that is traditionally used to mark the ending of Advent when Jesus was revealed to the three kings.  So, today it is appropriate to pause for a moment and remember that Jesus was revealed to the world as King

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us”

However, my favorite translation of John 1:14 is from the Message

“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.”

I think a lot of us understand the “becoming flesh & blood” part, but what about Jesus “moving into the neighborhood”?

The neighborhood that Jesus entered into was broken, hurting and in desperate need of a future and a hope.

However, I contrast that with the neighborhood I moved into.  Honestly, my neighborhood looks…well, opposite of that.

My neighborhood has wide streets for the kids to play in, a community pool, a neighborhood watch and regulations to make sure I quickly fix the door on my mailbox so it doesn’t become an eyesore. I am not saying any of these things are bad or that people shouldn’t enjoy such things (we should all enjoy such things).

I am just reflecting my actions and those of this King because if I am to be the foreshadowing of a coming Kingdom maybe it is time that I also “moved into a neighborhood” that is in desperate need of a future and a hope.

A month ago I began asking people why they chose to live in the house they currently occupy. The answers were very interesting…

“it had three bedrooms”

“it was a great neighborhood”

“the property value was increasing”

“great school district”

…all of these things are great, but what I did notice was the lack of answers related to “because it was a neighborhood in need and I wanted to help.” This included my own response to the question I asked.

Epiphany…appearance, dwelling, presence, neighborhood.

maybe…just for a moment (in a very safe place) we could consider how our communities would change if we were the present foreshadowing of this coming Kingdom in the neighborhoods of our community that are in desperate need of a future and a hope.

E. Stanley Jones once wrote “The Word must become flesh or the Word is a vast question mark.”

Thankfully, the Word did become flesh and now there is hope.

The question is now to us today. How does the Word become flesh and blood in our small corner of the world?

Maybe it means we “move into the neighborhood”?

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