I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
- Jesus (John 8:12)
I love light. When we have too many overcast days in a row, especially during winter, I can feel my inner light begin to flicker, and the cold seems that much colder. But when the sun finally starts to peek through the clouds, it’s like God saying, “I’m back!” I particularly enjoy it when the light bursts forth in distinct rays, like announcing a grand entrance. Scottish theologian and author George MacDonald wrote that God gave the British so many nasty days that they might appreciate the good ones.
Jesus is often portrayed in the gospels and in Revelation as a glorious being, emanating a great light. While John of Patmos may be referring to a physical feature (Revelation 1:14,15), and likewise the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9), Jesus’ comment is of a spiritual nature.
Prior to the Son of God’s arrival, the world was in darkness. Even the established religion of the land felt oppressive. God felt less like a father, and more like an awesome force to tremble before. And even with Christianity’s 2.5 billion followers, much of the world still seems in darkness. The light of Jesus is needed now more than ever.
It’s interesting to note that he called himself the light of the world. Not the world of Christians, but the whole lot of mankind. He knew that all would experience some portion of darkness at various times in their lives. Many are even immersed in darkness, with seemingly no hope to escape. His message to us was that our heavenly Father sees into the darkness and desires to deliver us from it, if we would but take his hand.
Why do we walk in darkness to begin with? It’s because the cares of this world get us down, shutting out the light of life, even the hope of tomorrow. Over 30,000 suicides are recorded in the U.S. each year. In addition there are some 600,000 failed attempts in the same time period. This pursuit of ending lives is no respecter of persons; it affects the affluent and poor alike.
Jesus taught that we should love another, bear one another’s burdens, don’t worry about tomorrow, don’t harm or hate. He emphasized that we must reconnect with our Creator, as father, not as dictator. Coming to Christ can be accomplished through a number of Christian churches or venues, but we must be especially careful to not worship the religion rather than the God of that religion.
God gave us darkness that we might seek the light. Nighttime is a time of rest and reflection. God rolls back his canopy of sky in order to let more lights shine, giving us a sense of the vastness of his universes. He gives us the freedom to wallow in spiritual darkness, knowing that, as true sons and daughters, we will ultimately experience the glow and warmth of his inner circle, as well as his family, through the ministry of reconciliation.
Like other daily decisions in life, we have a choice to remove ourselves from darkness and walk with Christ in the light. Even when we fail — and we surely will — his arms remain open, and his light beckons. When the light begins to take hold in us, we become beacons for those around us who are being tossed about on the waves of darkness and despair. For this we were made.
Let Christ shine through us.
Read more about: Jesus, The Bible
