In the Beginning was the Word

For the past couple of weeks I have been on an adventure to discover more about my roots. Much of my time has been spent in Tennessee, trudging through the woods and tall grass to examine the headstones in 200 year old cemeteries named after my family. There is something special about the connection I felt as I gazed at graves of people I had only heard about. Viewing the area where the family lived and seeing the crumbling remains of an old general store gave me a glimpse of what their life was like. An old ledger salvaged from the general store by a distant cousin shows purchases of flour, calico, and even a coat for a 3 year old. These people were real!

I explored the county libraries in small towns in the area and traveled to the Tennessee State Archives in Nashville with its huge repository of resources. Here, I reviewed books and documents with histories of land grants, disputes, and wills of the colonial Harder family from North Carolina venturing into the wilderness of Tennessee in the early 1800’s. These people, who only the week before were merely names on a sheet of paper, became real to me because I took the time to read about them and get to know them.

The following Bible passage came to mind:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. – John 1:1-5

I began to think about Jesus. How many of us profess to believe in Jesus, yet we don’t really know anything about Him? How can I trust my eternity to someone I have not taken the time to understand? To really know Jesus, I need to know the Jesus of the Bible. He is the Word made flesh and the complete fulfillment of scripture. Without taking the time to study the Word, we can’t know Jesus. It’s impossible to establish a true relationship with someone we don’t truly know.

Through research and study I have a closer connection to my earthly family. I am excited to continue to learn more about Jesus, my Savior, as I spend more time in His Word. He is real!