Leonardo da Vinci’s John the Baptist bears witness to the word made flesh
Spiritual Sunday
Today’s lectionary reading may be the best known passage from Scripture. It fascinated me as a child, even though I didn’t understand it. Or perhaps I was riveted because I didn’t understand it. It reads more like poetry than prose, and I had the same relationship with John 1:1-14 that I had with, say, Coleridge’s “Kubla Khan.” This is to say that I caught snatches of meaning in memorable phrases that lodged in the mind.
In addition to explaining the meaning of Christ’s entrance into the world, the passage works to describes any connection that is opened up with spirituality, including poetry. I wrote this past week about the mystical transformation that occurs when we encounter literature. Poetry begins with words but they take on a particular reality (flesh) in our minds, what Shakespeare calls “a strange consistency.” Their manifestation in the world opens up a bridge with a spiritual world of inexpressible mystery. In the grip of powerful words, we step into our biggest selves.
Think of the prophet John as a literature teacher or librarian, bearing witness to this power that the rest of the world might have a light for seeing through the darkness. I cite the passage as it appears in the magnificent King James version.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
