Thursday, January 30, 2014

Let the Sonshine in

What's the deal about light? Sun light in particular. It almost seems like it's a cure for what ails you, doesn't it?

This morning, as I type, the sun is casting a brilliant strip through my office window onto my laptop screen. I had sort of forgotten that could happen after days upon days of dark skies, frigid temps and such.

The Bible has about as much to say about light as it has anything else. From the beginning  ("let there be light, and there was light") to ("let there be lights in the sky") to the Psalmist writing ("light shines in the darkness for the godly") to the very idea that the "anointed one" will be a light for God's people.

Light is given as contrast for the dark, and we're not talking about lamps and such but instead goodness versus evil.

The prophets discussed it. Isaiah wrote, "the people who walk in darkness will see a great light."
Paul wrote, "For you are all children of light and of the day..."

And perhaps the most famous of the writing about light, John's Gospel begins, "The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness can never extinguish it. God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God."

This morning is possibly a turning point in our lives, because every morning stands to be a turning point.

The light came into the world, and it exists in the world. I believe this even when I try my best, consciously and unconsciously, to bring darkness back into it.

This morning I pray for children throughout the world who long to see the light burning away the darkness in their young lives. I pray for kids everywhere who simply want their parents to love them. I pray for those who have been given the right to become children of God but through pride and anger refuse to do so. This morning, as the light reacquaints itself with our community, I pray for peace in this warring world. I pray the light into the corners that still hold onto darkness.

This morning I pray.

Let the Sonshine in again. Before it's too late.

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