John 1:1-12

1 The Word was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word. The Word was God,

2 in readiness for God from day one.

3 Everything was created through him; nothing - not one thing! - came into being without him.

4 What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by.

5 The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn't put it out.

6 There once was a man, his name John, sent by God

7 to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in.

8 John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light.

9 The Life-Light was the real thing: Every person entering Life he brings into Light.

10 He was in the world, the world was there through him, and yet the world didn't even notice.

11 He came to his own people, but they didn't want him.

12 But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves.