A stunning rainbow lights up the brooding sky above the Northwest Detention Center. It’s been more than a year since my friend was free. I want to see him before Christmas.

I walk past a barbed wire fence to the steel front door of the building. It turns out the guards had to recently replace it because an angry visitor pulled the old one off its hinges. 

A mildly bored guard looks up as I walk to the counter.

“Did you know there’s a rainbow outside? It’s glorious!”

“Oh really? Man, I wish I could go see it. Who are you visiting today?”

“Joe Bayana.”

This last Sunday we finished our series on 1 John called The Invitation of Love. We closed out our time looking at this letter by focusing in on the man John.

The Apostle John

John was there at the very beginning with Jesus. He was the youngest disciple. He had walked with Jesus, saw him teach, confront, love, and heal. He had seen Jesus at the height of his fame, and at the lowest point of his earthly journey. He was there at the Mount of Transfiguration and then at the Cross, where Jesus asked John to watch over his mother in his absence.

John had watched the birth of the church in the fanfare of Pentecost wonder and transformation. He had seen the ministries of Peter, James, Thomas, Matthew, and other disciples. One by one, all those brothers in the faith, men who had walked with Jesus were murdered, crucified, or beheaded for their faith. And yet, here he was still alive.