Preachers say they don’t like preaching the Gospel of John for the same reasons people say they don’t like poetry — it’s hard to follow, they don’t understand it, it’s too abstract. On this first Sunday of January, we read about how the Word became flesh, but there is no flesh on these words, no specifics, no newborn babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. John’s Gospel revels in mystery and metaphor. In his poem, “Introduction to Poetry,” Billy Collins mourns his students’ response to poetry. Collins wants his students to hold the poem to the light, to press their ear against it, to “waterski across the surface.” Instead, he writes, they: “Begin beating it with a hose To find out what it really means.” We need to position ourselves differently to read and appreciate John’s poetry. He’s not going to spoon-feed us God’s beginning, rising action, climax and conclusion. ... You can find the rest of the commentary on our website. | 
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