Thoughts for the Day

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it......

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

We used this reading from John's Gospel on New Year's Eve, but there is much more to learn from this passage. John says that the 'light shines in the darkness'. What does this mean?

Years ago when working in Worcester cathedral I was accustomed to seeing the tiny light near the altar in the sanctuary, which indicated that there was consecrated bread from the Eucharist in the aumbry (a small locked cupboard). This was used to take Holy Communion to those who were sick. When the cathedral lights were put out in the evening you could still see the tiny light all the way from the great west door. The pitch dark in the cathedral couldn't diminish it, but seemed to allow the tiny light to show even more.

The opening of John's Gospel reminds us of the book of Genesis where God is seen creating light after making the world. By the time of the New Testament 'Light' and 'Dark' are often symbols for good and evil. So when John writes that the light overcame the darkness he is saying that ultimately good will overcome evil. Jesus came to bring God's light - his love - to our world, and when it seemed that evil would overcome the work of God's Son, it didn't happen for Jesus defeated death. However, God's plan is not yet complete, and there is still darkness in our world. Each one of us can make a difference though by loving one another.

Almighty God,
giver of Light and Love
we praise You
and thank You
for Your great plan
to rescue us from
the darkness of sin.
Help us to bring Your light
into our lives
by loving others.
Amen.