Light

God is ...

                    … the light of the world

“I am  the light of the world. Whoever follows me will
never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

READ - John 8:12-20

Next Jesus turns to being the light of the world, linking back to one of God’s most powerful deeds, the act of creation where light was commanded into being. When we look at Jesus' words here, we so often hold the light in the context of seeing where we are walking, for that is the picture that Christ painted, “whoever follows me will never walk in the darkness”. There is more to light though, than just being able to see where we are walking. 

As a photographer, light is everything. If I’m honest, I refuse to use pop up flash and regularly put the camera away at parties because the indoor light is too dark and the photos would be … well, naff! Without the right light, there is no point starting. It shouldn’t be a surprise to know that the best light is natural light, God’s light! It brings out the beauty in a face, it bounces off flowers to create the most vibrant colours and turns a landscape in to a work of art. Light is everything.

If light is essential to the photographer, it is even more essential to human life. Besides the fact that life would end if the sun were not in its current place there is the fact that our food requires light to grow, we get vitamins and brighter moods from the light and much more.

So light is not just about seeing and walking, it is about beauty and life. From the Aurora Borealis to photosynthesis, from the shaft of light that penetrates the clouds and highlights the heather, to the warm glow of summer that penetrates our minds and lifts our moods. When Christ claims to be the light of the world we not only see the opposite of darkness, we see the source of beauty and the source of life. Each of us holds something ugly in our past, and yet when the "light of the world" shines upon us we are transformed into the image of His beauty. Each of us faces death, and yet when the light of the world shines upon us, we actually face the promise of eternal life.  

Christ is the light of the world. He is the light that shines in the darkness and will never be overcome by the darkness. This simple truth is something that we must claim for our lives, for the darkness has no power over us. Yet the light of the world is not just about overcoming darkness, He is also the source of beauty and life. 

Where do you need the light to bring beauty?

What does the promise of eternal life mean for you?