People of the Light

Last week we had six straight days of clouds and no sunshine. It was hard on people.  I’ll admit I am not a fan of the shorter days we are blessed with during the last days of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere.  Add to this fact six consecutive, cloudy, dreary days in a row and it was particularly trying.  I am not complaining, just stating the grim facts.  These short dark days can be difficult to navigate anyhow for a multitude of reasons.  Add cloud cover for days on end we humans can get crabby and discouraged, spirits flag.  We may know in our heads the sun is behind those clouds, but tell it to our souls!  

Then came the morning of the seventh day, I woke to bright, brilliant sunlight penetrating every crack and crevice and my spirit rejoiced at the sight.  We are people of the light by design.

In the opening lines in the first chapter of Genesis, sometime after God created the heavens and the earth, we are told his Spirit hovered over the darkness of a formless and completely empty earth and then this happened:

3 “God said let there be light; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.”

Dropping down the chapter we are told in verse twenty-seven that we human beings are created in God’s image.

Pondering again and again these words I have made several observations.  The first is God himself is light, and it is his presence that brought light to the darkness that covered the formless and void earth. The second being the verification of observation number one in the Gospel of John where the author describes Jesus as the one doing the creating with God in the beginning. Chapter one says, “3 All things were made by him. 4 In him was life and the life was the light of men.”  The third item of note is John spoke eyeball to eyeball with Jesus both before and after Jesus death and resurrection so this is eyewitness testimony from God himself.  Fourth, the Word of God has been the most scrutinized piece of sacred literature of all time by historians, scholars and theologians, standing the test time and is therefore a trustworthy document. My final observation is what I have seen the light of Christ do not only in my own life but in the lives of countless friends and family, and millions of lives documented down through the ages.

Here is what I am driving at, the inevitable dark days of life can be difficult to navigate for a multitude of reasons. Add to that fact sometimes the light of God’s presence may seem obscured by struggle, pain, evil, suffering and injustice. We humans can get crabby and discouraged, spirits may flag.  We may know in our heads the Son who is the Light of the world is  our fortress, refuge and strength behind those clouds of trouble, but tell that to our souls!  

Then came the morning of the seventh day.  The stone was rolled away, sin, death and darkness were conquered. We awake reassured with the sure knowledge of the hope and promise the Light of Christ who is  the light of men and the world will illuminate the darkness that has clouded our way.  His light will, if we trust in him, penetrate every crack and crevice in all lives choosing to open the door to their hearts. The God willing to not only dwell with – Emmanuel- but in the very people created in his light filled image.

We are people of the light by design.  Which gives us great cause to not only be light filled but to also:

 Be joy filled always,

Christine Davis