Like a heavy cloud pressing down, it steals our light, and robs us of hope and joy. Sometimes it causes us to question or doubt our faith, and often leaves us feeling as if God has just left us to fumble in the darkness.
Tomorrow we will witness a total eclipse, where darkness will momentarily overtake the light. It’s a beautiful reminder that even when it seems like the light has vanished in our life—it’s simply obscured. The light is there. It’s always been there, shining since the beginning of time. No matter how thick any darkness may seem, I hope you are able to remember that it can never extinguish the light. This is what the Apostle John had to say about it in his First Epistle, 1 John 1:1-2:2 ....We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
If you were to ask me, I believe this wonderful epistle speaks directly to anyone’s heart, offering hope and solace in a time of darkness.
Penned in the late first century, John’s words have echoed throughout the ages as he encourages a young, Christian community to live in the light of Christ. And to do so faithfully amidst the persecution and internal strife they were facing. Today, churches across America going through a dark period. People no longer look to us as a beacon of light or a safe harbor to find rest. We mourn as churches shutter due to lack of member support. While others split and divide themselves apart for one political extreme or another. Yet, as the shadows of despair threaten to engulf us, John urges us onward. And does so on the basis of this one foundational truth, “God is light, and in God, there is no darkness at all.” He reminds us that when we walk in that light, with God and with one another, our joy will be complete. So you can see how this is an ongoing journey one that will take us to all different places and emotional states. The best way to navigate this trip is ride shotgun in God’s bright presence. Again, I know from experience how quickly we can lose sight of God’s light, especially when the dark shadows of doubt and fear and depression surround us. And again, when we find ourselves in those places, our first instinct is often to believe God has left us on the side of the road. But just as the sun doesn’t actually disappear in an eclipse, God doesn’t disappear simply because it’s too dark to see. The sun shines, even when it’s night time. So too does God’s love radiate throughout Anamesa, always finding a way into every dark space we find ourselves in. This past Wednesday, I had to take the dog out for her walk earlier than usual because a storm was rapidly approaching. Overhead dark clouds had already swallowed the entire sky. Yet somewhere in that gloomy canopy there was a little crack, enough for a beam of sunlight to sneak through. As the wind kicked up and the rain began to fall, a heavenly ray of light sliced open the sky and shone upon the earth below a beacon of light that brought a sense of peace and calm to my soul. It reminded me of something Lenard Cohen famously said. “There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” In other words, the things that break us actually open us to being with God. There will be storms in life that will beat us down and crack us open. Yet in those times of despair God is with us - piercing the darkness to bring comfort and joy. Even if we’ve given up on God or lost our faith, God continues to pursue us with steadfast love and faithfulness. God does this if for no other reason but to be in relationship with us and to make our joy complete. Which is why John encourages us to walk in the light. A good place to start is right here, in Anamesa, and being part of a loving community who will help you cultivate a deeper relationship with God through prayer, meditation, and the study of Scripture. As I have found in my own life, whenever I spend time in God’s presence my heart gets filled with God’s abundant light and love. So much so that it begins to spill out all over the place. I mention this because sometimes you’re not the one suffering. Sometimes you’re not in need of God’s light, but the one God has called to radiate it - to shine brightly so others can find hope in the midst of despair. Jesus told his disciples, “You are the light of the world.” He went on to explain that this light shouldn’t be hidden, but set out in the open where it can illuminate the entire room. Each one of us is a candle, flickering in the night. At first it might not seem like we’re doing much. But as the flame dances and casts its warm glow, our light begins to dispel the shadows and illuminate the entire space. Whether or not you know it, God’s light is already inside you. It’s part of your divine DNA that was given to all of creation from the get go. As Paul reminds us in his letter to the Ephesians, “For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord, you are light.” Paul, like John, encourages this church to “Live as children of the light - for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true” (Eph. 5:8-9). Like Richard Rohr said, “Anything exposed by the light will be illuminated and anything illuminated turns into light.” (c.f. Eph 5:13–14). When we walk in God’s light we become part of its radiance. As children of the light, Jesus tells us to shine brightly before others, “so that they may see your good works and give glory to God who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). So let us go out and shine brightly through acts of compassion, mercy and forgiveness. Let us go and be the light that guides others through the storms, and into the safe harbor of Christ whose own light redeems us and returns us to the light of God’s love. As John wrote, "we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1b-2). When we embrace and live into the light of Christ, our actions, attitudes, and words reflect his love and grace to those around us. We become beacons of hope and an agent of change in a world desperate for the goodness his light brings. With every act of kindness, compassion, and mercy we offer His light shines brighter and brighter. Every time we welcome someone in love, or listen to their confessions without judgment we radiate His light further and further until we fill in the space between with God’s glory. So let us not hold back from shining brightly, my friends. Let us embrace our role as bearers of the light, and be intentional about sharing God's love with everyone we meet. As we do, may our lives become a living testimony to the goodness and glory of God, now and forever.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Copyright © 2011