Chapel Matters

What is your favourite opening line from a book? Some classic ones might be from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone or Pride and Prejudice. Mine is from One Hundred Years of Solitude.

The Bible, which is a collection of 66 different books, has some classic opening lines too!

Perhaps the most well-known is, “In the beginning …” This is how the very first book of the Bible, Genesis, begins. It goes on to describe the chaos, the emptiness, the void that was there, and how darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters – like a bird or the wind, perhaps, moving over a stormy sea. There is a real sense of primordial murkiness here, all infused with the mystery of God's brooding presence. And then the first thing God does – is to speak words into this murkiness:

“Let there be light.”

Centuries later when John was writing his gospel about Jesus, he deliberately echoed this opening, starting with the line: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” I like the idea that John is describing Jesus as the Word – it's very appropriate for Book Week! And what does this Word do? Echoing the book of Genesis again, John goes on to say: “Through him all things were made, and [he is] the light that shines in the darkness.”

Words, language, imagination, creativity – story and mystery – they bring light and life to our world. These are all part of what God is about, in Jesus who is the Word.