We sometimes we hear people speak about being in a “dark place” of discouragement, hopelessness, or impasse in their lives. It is not uncommon to read or hear the language of “dark places” or a “dark night of the soul” where our children, our culture, or our world are concerned. In both ancient and modern literature, the metaphor of darkness for human error and its penalties is typical, though I believe that the so-called “dark night” experience is an essential, though difficult, part of our spiritual formation. All of us need the guiding light of Christ to bring us out of darkness, and the journey through has much to teach us.
I think that may be why the person and nature of God are described as light. “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.” He is sometimes called the “Father of lights” and we all understand that there is no darkness in God or His actions. God's entry into mortal flesh can even be described this way: Light has come to shine into all the world’s dark places. “I am the light of the world,” Jesus said. “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Our challenge as a Disciple is to be as light in the world. Like candles on a stand, or shining cities on high hills, we are meant to be blessings to everyone.
Some of us have even missed this point and have done incredible harm in His name. The call to be a light in the world is not militaristic, or a challenge to form a political party or lobbying movement for some commercial enterprise. People who have gone that route have given non-Christians a cause to indict all other Christians as unkind, judgmental, and merciless. They see a strident and angry activism that is a rational for bad behavior, and this makes them reject Jesus on account of the very people who profess to represent Him.
Think about what light is: light tends to be gentle, appealing, and positive in its presence. It clarifies the landscape and it makes life possible. Even if it is too bright and makes us flinch and shield our eyes at first, God's light typically doesn't come like the blast of a nuclear bomb. Consider this: do you think the world needs more caustic critics or more helping hands? Do we need more dark judgments and predictions or persons who model the light of Christ and the blessing of God's presence, encouragement, mercy, love and grace? We are to be beacons of faith in our world for those caught in darkness, despair and desolation. We have all confronted those moments in our lives of this darkness⎯but the light of Christ will illuminate your soul, and you will be like a lamp in the darkness.
There is a story that there was a shortage of hard currency in the British Empire during Oliver Cromwell's reign. Government agents searched for a supply of silver to meet that need. They searched in vain for silver that could be minted into coin. The report said that to their dismay, no silver was found except in the country's cathedrals where the statues of the saints are made of choice silver. “Then let's melt down the saints,” Cromwell said, “and put them into circulation.” In a world that needs light in its dark places, that's still a very good idea—putting saints in circulation...
Today we hear Isaiah quoted as saying that the people in darkness have seen a great light, that “anguish has taken wing—dispelled is the darkness.” The Responsorial Psalm this Third Sunday in Ordinary Time is: “The Lord is my light and my salvation, of whom should I be afraid?” Like the two brothers Simon (Peter) and Andrew in the Gospel story today we are called to shine the light of Christ in this dark world, to shed light in dark places. Ask yourself: do you shine like Christ, or add to the dark? Food for thought….
Keep singing!
Elizabeth Dyc
I think that may be why the person and nature of God are described as light. “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.” He is sometimes called the “Father of lights” and we all understand that there is no darkness in God or His actions. God's entry into mortal flesh can even be described this way: Light has come to shine into all the world’s dark places. “I am the light of the world,” Jesus said. “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Our challenge as a Disciple is to be as light in the world. Like candles on a stand, or shining cities on high hills, we are meant to be blessings to everyone.
Some of us have even missed this point and have done incredible harm in His name. The call to be a light in the world is not militaristic, or a challenge to form a political party or lobbying movement for some commercial enterprise. People who have gone that route have given non-Christians a cause to indict all other Christians as unkind, judgmental, and merciless. They see a strident and angry activism that is a rational for bad behavior, and this makes them reject Jesus on account of the very people who profess to represent Him.
Think about what light is: light tends to be gentle, appealing, and positive in its presence. It clarifies the landscape and it makes life possible. Even if it is too bright and makes us flinch and shield our eyes at first, God's light typically doesn't come like the blast of a nuclear bomb. Consider this: do you think the world needs more caustic critics or more helping hands? Do we need more dark judgments and predictions or persons who model the light of Christ and the blessing of God's presence, encouragement, mercy, love and grace? We are to be beacons of faith in our world for those caught in darkness, despair and desolation. We have all confronted those moments in our lives of this darkness⎯but the light of Christ will illuminate your soul, and you will be like a lamp in the darkness.
There is a story that there was a shortage of hard currency in the British Empire during Oliver Cromwell's reign. Government agents searched for a supply of silver to meet that need. They searched in vain for silver that could be minted into coin. The report said that to their dismay, no silver was found except in the country's cathedrals where the statues of the saints are made of choice silver. “Then let's melt down the saints,” Cromwell said, “and put them into circulation.” In a world that needs light in its dark places, that's still a very good idea—putting saints in circulation...
Today we hear Isaiah quoted as saying that the people in darkness have seen a great light, that “anguish has taken wing—dispelled is the darkness.” The Responsorial Psalm this Third Sunday in Ordinary Time is: “The Lord is my light and my salvation, of whom should I be afraid?” Like the two brothers Simon (Peter) and Andrew in the Gospel story today we are called to shine the light of Christ in this dark world, to shed light in dark places. Ask yourself: do you shine like Christ, or add to the dark? Food for thought….
Keep singing!
Elizabeth Dyc
RSS Feed
