There is something about light—the way it draws creatures; light attracts insects no less than people. I remember once when my wife and I were in Paris. It was summer but the weather was cold and rainy. After three days of downpours the sun finally emerged. And with the sun—with the light—people poured out of their homes and business to sit in the park with bread, wine, and cheese. Everyone was drawn by the light.
Darkness, on the other hand, is different. Darkness can frighten us—whether we are eight or eighty. Once when I was backpacking in the mountains of Colorado I wandered away from camp to explore a trail. The sun set quickly behind a craggy snow-covered peak; and just as quickly darkness descended. Immediately I felt scared. Without light I was lost. This is true of all forms of darkness: be it the physical, spiritual, or emotional absence of light. For example, the darkness of severe depression is frightening, as is divorce, or the loss of a job; these events can be more frightening than being lost in the darkness of the Rocky Mountains.
God knows our need for light; after all, light was the very first act of God’s creation. But God also knows our need for spiritual light. For Christians, Jesus is the light of light, to use the phrase from the Nicene Creed. Jesus is light incarnate that leads us through the shadows of the world.
We may be seduced into believing that the light we long for can be found in the flicker of a new flat screen TV, or the glimmer of a diamond. The culture we live in does its best to tell us—and sell us—where to find light and life.
But we know the truth, don’t we? We know that our lives will not be brighter, more meaningful, or hopeful if we get a new TV or a piece of jewelry. We know that the light we really long for does not come from things; the true light comes from God alone. Remember the light that rescues us from the darkness. Remember the light that is God’s love made flesh.
Darkness, on the other hand, is different. Darkness can frighten us—whether we are eight or eighty. Once when I was backpacking in the mountains of Colorado I wandered away from camp to explore a trail. The sun set quickly behind a craggy snow-covered peak; and just as quickly darkness descended. Immediately I felt scared. Without light I was lost. This is true of all forms of darkness: be it the physical, spiritual, or emotional absence of light. For example, the darkness of severe depression is frightening, as is divorce, or the loss of a job; these events can be more frightening than being lost in the darkness of the Rocky Mountains.
God knows our need for light; after all, light was the very first act of God’s creation. But God also knows our need for spiritual light. For Christians, Jesus is the light of light, to use the phrase from the Nicene Creed. Jesus is light incarnate that leads us through the shadows of the world.
We may be seduced into believing that the light we long for can be found in the flicker of a new flat screen TV, or the glimmer of a diamond. The culture we live in does its best to tell us—and sell us—where to find light and life.
But we know the truth, don’t we? We know that our lives will not be brighter, more meaningful, or hopeful if we get a new TV or a piece of jewelry. We know that the light we really long for does not come from things; the true light comes from God alone. Remember the light that rescues us from the darkness. Remember the light that is God’s love made flesh.
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