Save for a few words, this lovely hymn to the Logos could easily be in honor of a Gnostic savior. By Gnostic I mean salvation through an idea or teaching, personified perhaps, but an object of the mind. Such a savior is as popular (or more so) today as ever. There are many who like the “teachings” of Jesus but are scandalized by the person of Jesus and even more so by the Church. Lots of others give voice to a similar sentiment when they proclaim that they are “spiritual but not religious”.
While it might be accurately said that the author of the fourth Gospel dallied with Gnostic ideas, the “punch line” of the Prologue brings both the writer and the Word clearly back down to earth. The Word became flesh and lived among us.” There is no “took up the appearance of flesh” here. The Word who spoke and it was made has itself become something made of real flesh and blood, the creator has become creature. For those of us blessed with the faith not to be scandalized by such a savior, the glory of God has entered our concrete lives in such a way as to make being “spiritual” (in its most limited sense) the ultimate heresy.
Such is the grace and truth of Christmas!
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