“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the world’s light. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12
Darkness changes our perspective. Our inability to see makes it difficult for us to move and to operate freely. When it is dark outside or inside our house, it can seem as though we are in completely foreign territory with no idea what is right in front of our faces. When our surroundings are dark, it leaves only our imagination to paint a picture of what surrounds us.
Just the other night, my daughter needed to retrieve something from our car that was parked in the driveway. When she opened the front door, she realized the sun had gone down. She was immediately paralyzed with no desire to step outside. Although she is often in the front yard, shooting a basketball, playing catch, or doing chalk art on the driveway, she was unwilling to venture into this familiar territory because of the absence of light. Her imagination immediately led her to a place of worry and fear. The only way she was going outside was if someone else went with her.
In the gospel of John, Jesus makes it clear that he is “the light of the world.“ So often, circumstances in our lives make us feel like we are immersed in the darkest of nights. We lack the ability to see clearly what the future holds. Worry, and fear takes hold, and we assume the worst possible scenario. Jesus has come into the world to shed light on these dark moments of our lives. This is the good news!
Although life is not often easy, and there are circumstances that concern us, we have an ever-present light that allows us to see beyond momentary troubles. God‘s light shines on the road in front of us and helps us to stay on the path that leads to the life that God intends for us to live. The Light of the World opens our eyes to see hope no matter how dark the days.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” -John 1: 5
Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
