Photo posted by Earvin-scoobi on Reddit
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14 KJV).
First, let me be frank about this blog post — it is written for a specific set of thinkers and has a “unique” thought path. So if you don’t get the reference above (as it relates to current pop culture), and/or you don’t want to think a little outside of the box, you probably can just wait for next week’s post (or read last week’s if you haven’t already 😃).
When reading the scripture this past week, I experienced a somewhat unfortunate side-effect of… well of being human – living in a non-stop social media and marketing blasted world. We live in an era where words and imagery are all dictated by “the flavor of the week”. Whatever is popular generally shapes what we think and talk about.
So as unfortunate as it is, I couldn’t help but think of the popular party game when I read the words “among us” in the scripture above. If you’re not familiar with the game, it’s worth doing a quick google search (so you’re not completely confused when family, friends, or media mention it in conversation). Breaking it down to its most basic sense, Among Us is a modern version of the “who done it” style mystery game. Thus the name Among Us is a nod to the familiar phrase “there’s a killer among us”.
But in the scripture above, among us has a completely different meaning in its reference to Jesus Christ. He brought not death, but life to those around him. He produced not a murder mystery, but a clear way to God and to eternal life. Jesus lived among us in a positive light.
Despite the night and day difference in how Jesus appeared among us, his life had some similarities to the Among Us game that is so popular. Jesus had many disguises or personas and at times kept his true identity hidden. He was called “The Word” (as in the scripture above). He has many names and forms (Jesus, Emmanuel, The Lamb of God, et. al). He was disguised several times including:
- On the road to Emmaus – Jesus walked with two men after his resurrection but his identity was unknown to them (Luke 24:13-33)
- As a child – Herod didn’t know who he was so he decided to kill every child he could (Matthew 2:16-18),
- To all men – Only Peter had the revelation that he was the Messiah (Matthew 16:13-20)
- In your life – You should and will find examples in your own life!
I bolded number 4 above because this is the major point of this blog post. We are constantly looking for some mystery, some thriller to keep us entertained. But many times the excitement we are looking for is right in front of us. It may not always be blatantly labeled, but there are many times Jesus Christ is working right in front of our very eyes.
We often miss it because we are distracted. We’re blinded by the myriad of media and marketing (as I mentioned before). So I write this post to remind you to keep your focus. Add to your heart and mind daily by reading God’s word. In doing so, you’ll not think of games and other worldly concepts when you hear certain phrases. You’ll instead associate words and phrases with Godly concepts and positive messages. Be reminded that Jesus Christ is among us every moment of every day. You and I are not his enemy, but HIS crewmate.
