Before the World Began
Before the world began, one Word was there;
"Before the World Began" is a direct engagement with the Logos Christology of John 1:1–14, and its theological weight is decidedly incarnational and revelatory. Bell moves the congregation through the arc of the Johannine Prologue: the pre-existent Word grounded in God, the Word as source of life and light, the Word's entry into a world that rejects it, the gift of adoption to those who receive it, and finally the Incarnation itself in the 'child of earth' born of Mary. This structure mirrors the descending and ascending movement of Johannine Christology — the Word comes down, is rejected, raises up those who believe, and takes on full humanity. The repeated refrain 'this was the Word, the Word of life' functions doxologically, anchoring each stanza in proclamation rather than mere description. For Lutheran use, the hymn is theologically rich at several levels. Its affirmation of the pre-existence and full divinity of Christ resonates directly with the Nicene Creed confessed in Lutheran Sunday worship. The theme of light shining in darkness connects to Lutheran theology's affirmation that the Gospel breaks into the darkness of sin and death as pure gift — the Word does not come because the world is receptive, but precisely because the world is lost in dark rejection. The fourth stanza's language of grace, hearing the call, and being given 'the right' to become children of light is carefully synergistic in the Johannine sense but can be fruitfully read in a Lutheran key: the gift of faith is entirely from God's gracious initiative, received not merited. The fifth stanza's focus on Mary's 'faith-filled yes' is the one point where a Lutheran preacher or planner may wish to engage carefully: while Bell's text is not Marian in a dogmatic Roman Catholic sense, and Mary's role is presented as participatory response to divine initiative rather than merit-based co-redemption, some Lutheran assemblies will benefit from a brief framing note. Overall, the hymn functions excellently as a proclamatory, creedal hymn of the Incarnation, particularly suited to the Second Sunday after Christmas (John 1:1–18), Christmas Day (John 1:1–14), and the First Sunday of Epiphany, where the themes of divine self-revelation and light piercing darkness converge.
History & Background
"Before the World Began" was written by John L. Bell of the Iona Community in 1998 and published by Wild Goose Publications (WGRG). It was composed as a metrical paraphrase of the Prologue to John's Gospel (John 1:1–14), one of the most theologically dense passages in the New Testament. Bell crafted the text to give congregations a singable, accessible entry point into the Johannine theology of the pre-existent Word (Logos) made flesh, drawing on the tradition of paraphrasing Scripture in song that stretches from the Psalter through Reformation hymnody to the present day. The hymn was written for use at Christmas and Epiphany, seasons when the Johannine Prologue features prominently in lectionary proclamation, and quickly found a home in ecumenical and mainline Protestant worship across Scotland, England, and the broader English-speaking world. Wild Goose Publications distributed it through the WGRG catalogue and it appeared in various Iona Community songbooks and supplemental worship resources. Its compact refrain-like closing line, 'this was the Word, the Word of life,' functions as an anchor for the assembly's memory and proclamation. The hymn has achieved moderate ecumenical spread in North America, the United Kingdom, and Australia, particularly among communities that engage Iona Community resources. It appears in supplemental resources and is frequently selected by worship planners working with John 1 during the Christmas season, the Second Sunday after Christmas, and the Feast of the Epiphany, as well as for general seasons where Incarnation and light-in-darkness themes are central.
Bulletin Note
Text by John L. Bell (b. 1949), Iona Community, Scotland, © 1998 WGRG, Iona Community (admin. GIA Publications in North America). A metrical paraphrase of John 1:1–14.
Preaching Connection
When the Gospel reading is John 1:1–14, this hymn does not merely illustrate the text — it preaches it, stanza by stanza, allowing the congregation to take the Prologue's cosmic sweep onto their own lips. A preacher might open or close with the image from the final stanza: God 'making the climb' into human space and time, not as spectator but as participant.
Catechism & Confessional Connections
- Nicene Creed Three Ecumenical Creeds
Themes
Incarnation Word of God Light and Darkness Christmas Epiphany Pre-existence of Christ Logos Christology Rejection and Grace Adoption as Children of God Mary Creation and Redemption Revelation