The Word at the Beginning

John begins before any task is set before us. He does not open with a command to become stronger or a plan for getting through the day. He points to the Word, already there at the beginning. That small word “was” deserves our attention: the verse does not describe the Word arriving on the scene. We can pause before making this opening line into a slogan and hear its claim on its own terms.

The verse also holds two statements together: the Word is with God, and the Word is God. We need not rush to make those statements sound simpler than they are. John gives us language for the Word’s relation to God and for who the Word is, not a diagram that answers every question we might ask. Reading slowly can be an act of humility. We can recognize the limits of our explanations while attending to the words that are actually here.

When the day feels crowded with demands, this opening can shift our attention from ourselves to the One the passage names. We may come to Scripture looking for an immediate instruction, yet this verse offers us something to contemplate first. Before deciding what to do with it, we can let its three phrases stand together and notice how much they say. Faith need not mean pretending we have exhausted their meaning. It can include a quiet willingness to listen, to wonder, and to speak carefully about God.