Message: The Face of Glory / John 1:10-18

There are moments in our lives when we encounter something so wonderful and so vast that words fall short. Think of a beautiful sunset sinking below the horizon. Think of standing beneath a night sky filled with stars. Think of music or art that touches your heart. Think of a person who shows kindness and gives their life to caring for those in need.

In those moments, we feel something deep inside us. It is more than saying, “That is nice.” It is a sense of wonder and awe. It feels like something sacred, something we experience as “Holy Mystery.” It wakes us up. It opens our eyes to see our lives in a new way. It reminds us that we are not alone. It helps us see that all life is connected. It invites us to pause and think about what really matters.

This Holy Mystery is not easy to name. We often say “God,” but even that word cannot fully capture it. In the book of Exodus, when Moses asks for God’s name, the answer is, “I am who I am.” God cannot be contained by our language. That is why the ancient Israelites treated the divine name with great care. They did not speak Yahweh, God’s name in Hebrew, aloud. Instead, they said Adonai, “the Lord,” because they knew God is always greater than our words, our thoughts, and our knowledge. We can sense God’s presence, but we cannot own it.

Still, people have tried to understand and describe this Holy Mystery. In ancient Greece, many thinkers believed there was an invisible order guiding the universe. The Stoic philosophers called this divine order “the Logos”. They saw the universe as alive, moved by the Logos. Because of this, they valued reason. They believed human intellect could help us understand this divine order. Using logic, they tried to explain the existence of God. For example, they said that everything has a cause, and if we follow these causes back far enough, we reach the first cause, the One, the source of all things.

In ancient East Asia, other thinkers also sought to understand Holy Mystery. Among them were the Confucianists, who spoke of “The Principle” as the origin of the world. They taught that everything comes from this Principle and that human nature is closely connected to it. They pointed to compassion as evidence. If anyone sees a child about to fall into a well, they feel alarm and move to help. They do this not for praise or reward but because it naturally rises from within. For this reason, their teaching focused on restoring compassion, which they saw as the foundation of justice and wisdom.

The Gospel of John speaks about Holy Mystery in a Christian way. John begins with these words: “In the beginning was the Word.” The term “Word” is translated from the Greek logos. By using this term, John connects the Logos from Greek thought with the biblical faith in God. It shows that the divine order people searched for is not just an idea. Everything was made through the Logos, and the Logos is also God. Nothing exists apart from God. God is not hidden. The Holy One can be seen throughout creation. The door to wonder is open to everyone, in mountains, oceans, and forests, and also in the face of another person.

But John also raises a difficult question, saying, “He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him.” If God’s Word and presence are everywhere, why do we so often fail to see them? Why do we still live in chaos and confusion? Why do suffering and injustice keep returning? Why does this happen? 

Many believe that this happens when people are trapped in endless fear. Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), a spiritual leader of the 12th century, suggested that the first time people encounter the force of evil is at birth. When a baby leaves the warmth of the womb and enters a cold and unfamiliar world, the baby feels helpless and afraid. Hildegard believed that this early fear is connected to the roots of evil.

Martha Nussbaum (1947-), a leading American political philosopher today, explains a similar idea in a different way.  Drawing on many studies, she suggests that fear and helplessness early in life can grow into a desire for power. This fear divides people into “us” and “them” and can lead to violence and oppression. When fear spreads through a society, authoritarianism and dictatorship can take hold. She points to the Trump administration as an example of manipulating fear to divide people and strengthen their own power.

When fear takes over, people stop noticing beauty and goodness. They stop seeing the image of God in one another and begin to see others as threats. This makes people exclusive and drives them to control others. The powerful take advantage of the weak, and the rich exploit the poor because they are afraid of losing what they have. 

This was the world into which Jesus was born. The Roman Empire spoke of peace, but it was a peace built on fear. Many people lived in constant anxiety. They struggled to feel God’s presence. They cried out, asking where God was and why God remained silent.

But God did not stay far away. John says, “The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory.” God came near. God entered the world of fear, not as a powerful king, but as a vulnerable baby.

Martin Luther (1483-1546) once said that God comes this way so that we can experience God’s presence anew. In one of his Christmas sermons, he writes:

“See how God invites you in many ways. He places before you a babe with whom you may take refuge. You cannot fear him, for nothing is more appealing to a person than a babe. Are you afraid? Then come to him, lying in the lap of the fairest and sweetest maid. You will see how great is the divine goodness, which seeks above all else that you should not despair. Trust him! Trust him! Here is the Child in whom is salvation. To me, there is no greater consolation given to humankind than this: that Christ became human, a child, a babe, playing in the lap of his most gracious mother. Who is there whom this sight would not comfort? Now the power of sin, death, hell, conscience, and guilt is overcome if you come to see this gurgling Babe and believe that he has come, not to judge you, but to save you.”

When people encountered Jesus, their hearts opened, allowing them to experience Holy Mystery. Jesus did not use power to control others. He cared for the poor. He shared meals with those who were pushed aside. He touched the sick. He showed mercy to those with heavy burdens. He loved with a steady, unwavering love all the way to the cross. In him, people saw true glory, not the shine of gold or silver, but the glory of grace and truth. Jesus revealed that God is Holy Mystery and Wholly Love.

The world still tries to fill us with fear. It whispers that we must be tougher and more closed off. Fear can shape our choices, our relationships, even our faith. It tells us we must have more and more to feel safe and that we must beat others to survive.

But we see true glory in the face of Jesus Christ. That glory is not the power to control others. It is love for others. It helps us recognize God’s footsteps everywhere in our lives. It is grace upon grace, a kindness that flows endlessly, even when the world tries to dry it up.

As we step into a new year, fear may still grasp our hearts. We cannot overcome it all, but we do not have to be ruled by it. Jesus opens our eyes to God’s presence all around us. Jesus gives us the courage to see others as beloved children of God. Jesus makes room for compassion once more, so that everyone may live in abundance and peace.

May the light of Christ shine through us, bringing hope to those who have lost their way, courage to those who feel weak, and love to a world that so desperately needs it. May we reflect this light in our words, our actions, and our lives, so that all may rejoice in God’s presence.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Rev. Min Hwang