I thoroughly enjoyed the recent “I am” series by Dusty and crew. In particular, I find myself thinking a lot about the verse in John 8:12 when Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life”.
Love and light seem like two sides of the same coin while death and darkness are two sides of a very different coin. It seems like this earth has always been a battlefield between light and darkness. The forces of darkness are constantly trying to take us out of the truth illuminated by ‘the light of the world’. Darkness can be seductive and because we are sinners, it is tempting to use that cover of darkness to keep our shortcomings from being known. The longer we hide our iniquities, the more power they have over us. Sin can only grow in the darkness, the light of the world promises to deliver us from the darkness of sin. Light allows us live in this world. Jesus embodies a vision of truth about God and about life, our origin, and our destiny. Light promotes growth and life. The light of Jesus’ life brings us the promise of everlasting life. Light warms and comforts. Jesus wants us to experience the beauty of an illuminated life. Light dispels darkness, which stands for evil. Jesus pierces the darkness of sin and death and conquers them. All the darkness in the world cannot put out one candle flame. Jesus cannot be overcome by evil.
As a former science teacher where Physics was my favorite subject, I’ve long been fascinated by the nature and attributes of light. Light is wonderful and mysterious…just like God. For example: Light travels so fast that a ray of light could circle the earth more than seven times a second (it would take a sound over three days to make a circuit around the earth). Visible light is but one part of the electromagnetic spectrum that includes radio waves, microwaves, Infrared waves, ultra-violet waves, x-rays and gamma rays.
Curiously, visible light is in the center of all these other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum and can be separated into its own spectrum of colors. (ROY G BIV was my right hand rainbow man when we studied light in my science class) Science can’t really tell us what light is other than to say it is made up of electromagnetic waves. The fact that light behaves both as a wave and as particles makes it unique among physical phenomena. I realize that not everyone is interested in the science of light (ok, I guess as an ex-science teacher, I can’t really help myself) but it is part of the wonder.and I see a significant connection between the remarkable physical attributes of light and our remarkable God who created the light out of darkness and sent to us the light of the world. Both are unfathomable, immutable and omnipresent. God provides for us a path to love and fulfillment, light illuminates that path. God loves us so much that he allows us to choose to follow the light or to be drawn into the darkness.
I, for one, choose the light of the world.