--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the beginning was the Word'. I have…" description: "\"“In the beginning was the Word'. I have taken as my text this evening the almighty Word itself. Now get this: 'There was a man sent from God, whose nam..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/700/n-scott-momaday-12844_bigger-and-better_in-the-beginning-was-the-word-i-have-tak_2949103.jpg" --- # In the beginning was the Word'. I have taken as my text… ![“In the beginning was the Word'. I have taken as my text this evening the almighty Word itself. Now get this: 'There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.' Amen, brothers and sisters, Amen…” quote by N. Scott Momaday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/700/n-scott-momaday-12844_bigger-and-better_in-the-beginning-was-the-word-i-have-tak_2949103.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/700/n-scott-momaday-12844_bigger-and-better_in-the-beginning-was-the-word-i-have-tak_2949103.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/700/n-scott-momaday-12844_bigger-and-better_in-the-beginning-was-the-word-i-have-tak_2949103.jpg) > ““In the beginning was the Word'. I have taken as my text this evening the almighty Word itself. Now get this: 'There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.' Amen, brothers and sisters, Amen. And the riddle of the Word, 'In the beginning was the Word…' Now what do you suppose old John meant by that? That cat was a preacher, and, well, you know how it is with preachers; he had something big on his mind. Oh my, it was big; it was the Truth, and it was heavy, and old John hurried to set it down. And in his hurry he said too much. 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' It was the Truth, all right, but it was more than the Truth. The Truth was overgrown with fat, and the fat was God. The fat was John's God, and God stood between John and the Truth. Old John, see, he got up one morning and caught sight of the Truth. It must have been like a bolt of lightning, and the sight of it made him blind. And for a moment the vision burned on the back of his eyes, and he knew what it was. In that instant he saw something he had never seen before and would never see again. That was the instant of revelation, inspiration, Truth. And old John, he must have fallen down on his knees. Man, he must have been shaking and laughing and crying and yelling and praying - all at the same time - and he must have been drunk and delirious with the Truth. You see, he had lived all his life waiting for that one moment, and it came, and it took him by surprise, and it was gone. And he said, 'In the beginning was the Word…' And man, right then and there he should have stopped. There was nothing more to say, but he went on. He had said all there was to say, everything, but he went on. 'In the beginning was the Word…' Brothers and sisters, that was the Truth, the whole of it, the essential and eternal Truth, the bone and blood and muscle of the Truth. But he went on, old John, because he was a preacher. The perfect vision faded from his mind, and he went on. The instant passed, and then he had nothing but a memory. He was desperate and confused, and in his confusion he stumbled and went on. 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' He went on to talk about Jews and Jerusalem, Levites and Pharisees, Moses and Philip and Andrew and Peter. Don't you see? Old John had to go on. That cat had a whole lot at stake. He couldn't let the Truth alone. He couldn't see that he had come to the end of the Truth, and he went on. He tried to make it bigger and better than it was, but instead he only demeaned and encumbered it. He made it soft and big with fat. He was a preacher, and he made a complex sentence of the Truth, two sentences, three, a paragraph. He made a sermon and theology of the Truth. He imposed his idea of God upon the everlasting Truth. 'In the beginning was the Word…' And that is all there was, and it was enough.”” [N. Scott Momaday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-scott-momaday/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker reflects on John’s proclamation “In the beginning was the Word,” interpreting it as a profound, overwhelming revelation that transcends mere truth and overwhelms the human mind. **In simple terms:** John’s declaration is seen as a powerful, awe‑inspiring truth that can blind and overwhelm. Key Takeaway Recognize that profound truths may be overwhelming and require humility. Themes spirituality revelation humility Mood awe intensity reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - preaching - personal crisis - spiritual awakening - intense insight Key Concepts theology existential awe psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle moments when truth feels too great? - What practices help ground you after overwhelming insight? A Different Perspective Such revelations can be destabilizing and may lead to confusion or misinterpretation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Almighty Word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/almighty-word-2369901/) [Bigger and better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigger-and-better/) [Brothers and sisters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brothers-and-sisters/) [Creation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [God John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-john-1140347/) [God Word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-word/) [John Meant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/john-meant-4436338/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Beginning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-beginning-2060398/) ## Related quotes > [“All is grace. If the Almighty is the Almighty, the last word for each of us belongs to Him. 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And the riddle of the Word, 'In the beginning was the Word…' Now what do you suppose old John meant by that? That cat was a preacher, and, well, you know how it is with preachers; he had something big on his mind. Oh my, it was big; it was the Truth, and it was heavy, and old John hurried to set it down. And in his hurry he said too much. 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' It was the Truth, all right, but it was more than the Truth. The Truth was overgrown with fat, and the fat was God. The fat was John's God, and God stood between John and the Truth. Old John, see, he got up one morning and caught sight of the Truth. It must have been like a bolt of lightning, and the sight of it made him blind. And for a moment the vision burned on the back of his eyes, and he knew what it was. In that instant he saw something he had never seen before and would never see again. That was the instant of revelation, inspiration, Truth. And old John, he must have fallen down on his knees. Man, he must have been shaking and laughing and crying and yelling and praying - all at the same time - and he must have been drunk and delirious with the Truth. You see, he had lived all his life waiting for that one moment, and it came, and it took him by surprise, and it was gone. And he said, 'In the beginning was the Word…' And man, right then and there he should have stopped. There was nothing more to say, but he went on. He had said all there was to say, everything, but he went on. 'In the beginning was the Word…' Brothers and sisters, that was the Truth, the whole of it, the essential and eternal Truth, the bone and blood and muscle of the Truth. But he went on, old John, because he was a preacher. The perfect vision faded from his mind, and he went on. The instant passed, and then he had nothing but a memory. He was desperate and confused, and in his confusion he stumbled and went on. 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' He went on to talk about Jews and Jerusalem, Levites and Pharisees, Moses and Philip and Andrew and Peter. Don't you see? Old John had to go on. That cat had a whole lot at stake. He couldn't let the Truth alone. He couldn't see that he had come to the end of the Truth, and he went on. He tried to make it bigger and better than it was, but instead he only demeaned and encumbered it. He made it soft and big with fat. He was a preacher, and he made a complex sentence of the Truth, two sentences, three, a paragraph. He made a sermon and theology of the Truth. He imposed his idea of God upon the everlasting Truth. 'In the beginning was the Word…' And that is all there was, and it was enough.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "N. 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