From the Inside Out
Nicodemus Reborn
By Gary Broughman
What does it really mean to be “born again?”
This was Nicodemus’ question, though the words came from Jesus.
Nicodemus knew only that he walked in the council of the law
but felt shrouded in darkness. He saw just well enough
to know his questions weren’t answered by the life he lived,
not covered by the stories he’d been told--the what, the why and the how–
from the beginning of time to this very day ...
It all began with darkness,
the light following and taking its place.
But darkness returned to settle on the world.
Darkness everywhere, midday or midnight.
Times of darkness followed by darker still.
Dark or darker. Name your poison.
You wonder why everyone didn’t stumble off the earth.
Then finally, light came again.
Not that darkness went away. Far from it.
But the light was such that darkness could not snuff it out
Nicodemus traced the light to Jesus. “Tell me, how can I
make the most of it, make it shine on my neighborhood?”
But all Jesus gave him was nonsense about being “born anew from above.”
Born a second time? What was he to do, crawl back into the womb?
Seems Nicodemus wasn’t well schooled on metaphors, but now he had
the master as his teacher: “Not flesh from flesh,” Jesus said, “spirit from spirit.”
Have a handle on it now Nicodemus? No? Not yet?
Try again -- don’t grab for it; take it softly, like catching a butterfly.
Jesus turned to the weather: “Spirit is like the wind, you feel and hear it
but you don’t know from where it comes or where it goes.”
If only Nicodemus could have asked Paul his questions.
Paul would give him a thinker’s answer,
something he could wrap his mind around,
a good, solid statement about faith counted as righteousness,
and Nicodemus could cry out, “I see!”
But Jesus didn’t play that way.
He’s no Paul -- not a mind kind of guy -- more a spirit kind of guy,
which is how he wanted Nicodemus to be reborn,
from the inside out, not the outside in.
None of this was shining much light for Nicodemus,
so Jesus says, “and you are a teacher of Israel!?”
A teacher in Jerusalem no less,
where God’s light shined brightest.
Any wonder the world was so dark so long?”
But Christ’s light could not be overcome.
Neither could his patience, thank God.
At last Nicodemus began to listen heart to heart.
The light was nothing more than the presence of God’s love.
How simple, how beautiful, and yet so sad:
God giving his son so we could read what was already written on our hearts.
The darkness has not gone away. Far from it.
And we are called like Nicodemus to ask the questions
that turn us inside out, born again to become like Christ,
lighting the world with a love darkness cannot overcome.
