The Coming Light

 

 

Scripture

 John 1:1-9

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴ in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸ He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. ⁹ The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

 

Devotion

 Every year, my family back in West Virginia spends a bit of time after the Christmas Eve service driving around their small town and looking at people's Christmas lights.  A few houses along Riverside Dr. are decorated in a simple rows of white twinkling icicles.  Two trailers near the train tracks have so many blow up items and strands of lights that it looks like Christmas has exploded in their shared lawn.  The Tank Works building features a single star that blazes into the night.  Most beautiful of all are the luminaries that people along the main road through town have put out for decades.  Those flickering candles light the way of the Christ Child as he enters the world.

It is no coincidence that the Gospel of John calls Jesus the Light of the World.  In an ancient world that had no electricity and a lot more wilderness than we have today, light was a precious commodity.  The thing God created first in Genesis, light is an amazing blessing that demonstrates just how much God loves and protects us.  Light makes things clear.  It reveals hidden dangers, helps chase away creatures that might do us harm, and helps us find our paths.  A light in the darkness can mean the difference between despair and hope... between being lost and finding one's way.... between death and life. 

The best gift of all--the gift we have had in the beginning without even realizing it--is Jesus Christ. And like the light that John compares him to, Jesus is the one whose teachings reveal sinful practices for what they are and shows us a better way to live.  The light of his justice encourages us to chases away practices that do others harm.  The light of his wisdom helps us discern the ways he would have us go and the things he would have us do.   And the light of his love shining through the darkness of despair can help us overcome even the worst pain, suffering, and disillusionment life can throw at us.  When God's light shines in the world, nothing can overcome it.   And that light came to us in the form of a human baby.

When I was younger, I always envisioned the light of Christ being like a single shining pinpoint in the dark--one that gets bigger and bigger the closer Christ comes.  Now, though, I think of it a little differently.  What if the light that is coming into the world to shine in our lives is like those different houses in my hometown?  What if  Christ's light shines forth in the subtle white lights of people who do careful, quiet, and methodical ministry but also the explosions of jumbled color created by folk who jump in headfirst to do unexpected (and often surprisingly creative) good works? What if Christ's light is both a bold, beautiful star shining for all the world to see and rows of flickering candles that work together to guide someone's way?  What if it is a single porch light left on along country road in order to offer assistance to those who need help...or a flashlight that helps us seek out someone who is lost in the dark?  What if it is the warm glow of a  Christmas tree and the people gathered round it?

As Christmas draws near, let us commit to being witnesses to the Light...the True Light...the Light of Christ.  Let us rejoice in all its many varieties as we celebrate a God who chose to share his perfect light by living and dying as one of us.  And may we continue to celebrate the ways Christ light that shines in all of us as we continue to the Good News with the world.

 

Prayer

 Jesus, we thank you for coming into the world and being our light.  May your light shine forth in us and help others come to know your blessings.  May we accept and give thanks for the ways your light shines forth in others.  We know that the darkness of sin, suffering, and death cannot overcome the ways you shine.  Amen.