Let there be light
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep…… Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; Genesis 1: 1-4
As the days get shorter, and the nights longer, the reality of living in darkness becomes more apparent. Both physically, emotionally and spiritually, many of our friends and neighbours may find themselves facing the reality of living with darkness, and questioning, in the words of Psalm 121, “from where will my help come?” A light, in the form of a cross, shining in the centre of a village or town might seem like a small thing, but its symbolic importance should not be underestimated. The reality of a light which guides our lives might well be the very thing they are looking for.
As our thoughts move towards advent and Christmas, we are well used to the idea of Jesus, the Light of the World, becoming incarnate, taking the form of a baby. The story has been retold countless times over 2000 years, but the challenge is not remembering the story, but how do we allow God’s light to shine today, not only in our towns and villages, but in our lives.
A torch is of little use unless we shine it in the direction we are going, and our faith is much the same. If we point our faith in the direction that we are going, it will illuminate our path, and also the path of those we are travelling with. And so, as we approach another Christmas, with its familiar stories and carols, may we focus God’s light in the direction in which we are going, and may we also stand as a beacon to others, God’s light shining in the darkness.
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’ John 8: 12
Revd Martin