Thoughts for the Day

We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life — this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us — we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

God Is Light

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

In the Hebrew scriptures and in the New Testament the words 'light' and 'dark' are often symbols for 'good' and 'evil'. At Christmas we are accustomed to hearing the words from the first chapter of John's Gospel read at services, with its wonderful words of hope about the coming of the Saviour: 'The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it' (John 1.5). But today's reading from scripture is from the First Epistle, or letter, of John. There is no consensus on who was the author, whether the writer was the Apostle John who wrote the Gospel, or someone else we call John the Evangelist, but the message coming down from either of these is crystal clear. God is Light, that is He is all that is good and there is no darkness or sin in Him. This is what those early Christians saw in Jesus who was revealed to them as God's Son.

Today we expect light everywhere, and we forget what it must have been like in a society accustomed to going to bed when it became dark. This lack of light reminds me of a time when I was going home after an evening service at a country church in late September and stumbled out of the light into the dark night unable to see where I was going but hoping I was still on the path. Then there was another time when one of my family gallantly took a girlfriend home one night, only to discover it was a mile down an unlit track in the woods and he ended up with his bike in a ditch on the way back.

Light in our world often intensifies darkness, showing it up for what it is. A tiny light will also be seen from a great distance and the darkness cannot overcome it. So it is with goodness and evil. Love will ultimately overcome evil. For God's great plan to work we too must play our part in helping carry light into our world and share His love with others. You might like to look at the Follow up Thoughts below for some ideas on how to do this.

Lord of all light and love,
who out of Your great goodness
gave us Your Son as the Messiah
who would come to save us,
Help us never to forget
our responsibility to pass on Your love
to others in any way we can
as we celebrate this Christmas.
Amen.