As I walked home recently on one very dark, wintry night I looked across the field and was amazed at how brightly the lights shone out from my house. Ignoring the fact that every-single-light-in-the-house was on, the brightness with which it burned on such a black night struck me with incredible contrast. It's amazing how that well lit home sticks out like a beacon of hope on a dark, dark night!
Darkness surrounds us in this world. Just look at the news and you’ll see drugs, rape, wars, cancer, divorce, abortion, molestation, sexual confusion, murder, conflict, violence and death. And that’s just before the first commercial! It’s everywhere. And we’re constantly trying to find a path through the badness and sometimes it seems we’re so surrounded by the dark that there’s no way we won’t get lost. The world is “going to hell in a hand basket” seems to be the general consensus.
'Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”’ John 8:12 https://my.bible.com/bible/114/JHN.8.12
Why did Jesus bring this up? Darkness is often associated with sin or ignorance about God, even purposeful ignorance about God: choosing to not know God. Jesus came to shine light into a dark place, to show the way out of the darkness, to bring hope. Here we are, 2000 years later and millions still follow that light and it is still changing lives for the better. Frankly, it doesn’t make any sense other than the fact that the light is real, and we are all looking for hope.
Wherever that light is shined, slavery is ended, freedom is unleashed, lives are changed, bonds are broken, wounds are healed and hope is restored. When I contrast to what I see on the news, I’m led to wonder, “Why do we resist?”
God provided the perfect light and hope in Jesus. All it takes is turning to follow Him and He will do the rest of the work, work that we cannot possibly do.
I love the idea of always having the light of life as a beacon of hope in the darkness, to guide me home.
What about you?
Comentários