Sunday, December 25, 2016

A Christmas meditation

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:5, Revised Standard Version bible

There are other translations for the Greek word frequently rendered "overcome." The King James Version, the English language ancestor of more contemporary translations, used "comprehend it." A modern preacher renders it "the darkness is clueless," which I rather like.

A site devoted to explicating the Greek words gives three possible readings:

1. to make something one’s own, win, attain...
2b. seize with hostile intent, overtake, come upon...
4a. learn about something through process of inquiry...

All of these seem a good fate for darkness if darkness is damaging to light.

That if is significant. Not all darkness is hostile. Some is simply beautiful. Some simply is.

But the hostile sort seeks ascendance these sad days. And overcoming it is our burden. We are reminded that Light lives among us.

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