1 John 1:1

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.

The first part that stood out to me about this opening to the letter is the phrase, "which we have looked at and our hands have touched." It is awesome to think that this disciple, Jesus' cousin, actually saw Jesus. I think of Jesus appearing to Thomas and inviting him and the disciples to look and see his hands and side, to touch and know that he is alive! In Suprised by Joy, C.S. Lewis's story of coming to faith, he describes an encounter with a close friend toward the end of his book, shortly before his conversion, in which this brilliant, atheist scholar friend of his informally comes upstairs to chat, and he makes a comment to the effect of, "You know, Lewis, it's a rum thing--the historicity of the gospels." Even many of the brilliant atheist/agnostic scholars of this world recognize that Christ lived. More significantly than their recognition are the living accounts of these disciples who saw him with their own eyes lived to record his words and actions. I like to think about that.

Secondly, I hear an echo in this opening of the book of the gospel of John. This "Word of life," "that which was from the beginning." Rings a bell with "In the beginning was the Word..." And this Word became flesh, flesh that John and the others saw with their own eyes. Our God came down in humility for us. It is beyond my comprehending, but I'm excited to learn what I can through this study with you all. I'm so thankful for this love letter from God to us and for our eagerness to read it! Unlike any other book, this one is "living and active," food for our souls.