The Light Shines in the Darkness
August 12, 2022
“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 overtake it.
~John 1:3b-5
Are you afraid of the dark? At some time or another most people find themselves frightened in darkness. The darkness is concealing; it keeps us from knowing what is around us. And it is the fear of that unknown that we so often encounter, leaving us terrified. So how do we overcome that fear of the unknown? How do we overcome the fear of the dark?
John says that Jesus is the light of all people. There is life lived in fear and there is life lived in hope…lived in light. The darkness can be so oppressive. It can seem at times that there is no hope, that there is no light. John reminds us that the darkness does not overcome the light. We do have hope. I know it doesn’t feel that way at times, but we persevere in hope, because the light does hold true.
John reminds us that in Jesus, we have life. But sometimes life is hard and challenging and painful. So, what does it mean to have Jesus and yet to experience the darkness? This has been a challenging week for many. I’ve sat with a number of people this week and listened to stories of incredible pain and difficulty. Life is a struggle. There is deep darkness.
It often seems as though we are fighting that darkness. It seems as though the darkness might overcome us. Just remember, our challenge is not to fight off the darkness, but to allow the light to come in. John does not say that the light shines and the darkness dissipates. He says, “The light shines in the darkness.” It shines in the darkness. That means that we have to stop fighting the darkness and embrace the light. Turn away from the darkness and turn toward the light.
How do we overcome a fear of the dark? We remember that we have hope in the light. The light does shine in the darkness, if we will allow it in. The light does shine in the darkness, if we allow it to shine through us so that others might experience the light.
As you draw each sacred breath today, remember:
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not overtake it.
You are loved, you are cherished, you are a child of God,
Pastor Caroline