In The Beginning

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. — John 1:1-5

The following is a conversation as this writer imagines. It is based on Scripture but is only an artistic interpretation.

THE FATHER: Son, I have an idea.

THE SON: What is it, Abba?

THE FATHER: The love that we share is so massive, so everlasting that I see it overflowing into another world, and I would like for you to help me create it.

THE SON: That is incredible, Abba! I see a place surrounded by an expanse of wonder and the place has so many landscapes, each a world of their own.

THE FATHER: Yes, and populated by own image bearers.

THE SON: Whom we will love.

THE FATHER: But they must be free to choose to love us.

THE SON: But some won’t, and they cannot be in your presence when they are unholy, Abba.

THE FATHER: Yes, I know. We will need to make a way for them.

THE SON: I will go, Abba. Send me as a light for them to find their way to you.

THE FATHER: As you say, Son. You are the Alpha and the Omega. It all begins with you and is for you. After millennia of darkness and sin, this world will need you to reclaim it and make it all new. It will be a battle, Son. You will need to take on the weight of the world’s sin and bear its pain. You will be separated from me but only for a short time.

THE SON: It will be worth it, Abba. I see the faces of our image bearers, and I am writing their names in our book of life.

THE FATHER: And I have an idea for one, a female.

THE SON: Tell me, Abba.

THE FATHER: As a child, she will endure pain beyond imagination. That pain grieves me, but we will use it so she will find you.

THE SON: Yes, her path 2,000 years from now will be treacherous, full of hills and valleys. She will see the evil one herself and encounter his demons.

THE FATHER: But when she finds you, Son, she will bask in your light. She will know our goodness, and she will put her trust in us.

THE SON: I know her name, and I am writing it now. She will be with us for all of eternity.

THE FATHER: And that is good.

Let’s pray.

Dear Jesus, you are the Word. You are the light of the world. You are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Everything exists through you and for you. We take assurance that if we know you and put our faith in you, you chose us before you set the foundations of the earth. And we will forever be with you when our time here has ended. Until then, teach us truth and show us how to be more like you. Amen.