“…I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” -John 8:12
On a recent family vacation, we spent some time at a wonderful waterpark. My daughters were excited to spend the day on the waterslides. To be honest, I was, too. We arrived when the waterpark opened and got started riding the rides as quickly as possible. We started off slow with a nice, easy ride on a tube, but soon the water slides got more and more challenging. With each ride, we screamed, got wet, and had a blast!
The one ride I found uniquely exciting was a long, fast ride that was entirely in the dark. The ride was an enclosed tube that was filled with twists and turns. Once you started the slide, you had no idea where the next turn or drop would be. It was both exciting and scary. We rode this slide multiple times that day. Because you couldn’t see it, each time was exhilarating.
As you approached the end of this waterslide, you would begin to see the faint light that was coming into the slide from the opening that would release you into the pool. The light was welcomed. You no longer had to guess what was next. You could see the path in front of you.
I could not help but think about the scripture from the Gospel of John that tells us about Jesus. “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4-5) Later, John would record Jesus’ words when He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
Sometimes life feels like that waterslide. It seems like we are walking in darkness, unaware of the twists and turns that may be in front of us. It is scary, and not in the fun waterpark way. This is when we must look to the hope of Christ. Jesus is the light that guides our path. Even when we cannot see the future, we know there is a hope-filled light awaiting us.
Let us look to Jesus and remember that the darkness cannot hold back the light. When we seek God, His light will shine into every part of our lives. In Christ, we find hope. In following Jesus, we overcome the darkness and discover the life of peace and joy God intends for each of us.
-Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
