That phrase has probably been heard in every household with small children for centuries. When you think about it, it’s a pretty descriptive sentence because in just a few words, it lets someone else know a lot. First, it says how the child feels – afraid. Second, it says what the child needs in order to feel better – light.
Darkness is an interesting thing. For some people, sitting in the dark, watching a scary movie is enjoyable. For others, sitting outside in the dark, staring at a star filled sky can be nothing short of inspiring. But for some people, the dark can feel the same as it does for that small child.
I’m sure most of us at some point have experienced a power failure at night. You’re sitting there at night, maybe eating dinner, or watching TV, and without warning, all of the lights in the entire house go out. Personally speaking, it’s a frightening feeling when all of a sudden, I can’t see a thing and my first thought is to find some kind of light. It’s just a natural instinct, almost the same way an insect is drawn to a light. In some ways, finding light is more like a need.
I think as people in general, we just naturally need to have light in our lives. But as Christians, we also recognize a deep desire for a different kind of light. Anyone who’s even remotely listened to any kind of scripture has heard the term, “I am the light of the world”. That verse comes to us from John 8: 12, which continues on to say, “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” That is a very clear indication of where we should be living our lives, not in darkness, but in light. In other words, we need to seek out the light, in the same way we do when suddenly we find ourselves in a power failure with no light whatsoever!
If someone were to ask you what the most well known passage in the Bible, what’s the first one you think of? Is it John 3:16? (Think baseball games with the guy in the rainbow wig and the sign). Just in case you are unfamiliar, that verse states:
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.But do you know what words follow that? Take a look at the words that follow in verses 19 – 21.
And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.In those 3 verses alone, it mentions the word “light” five times! Doesn’t that tell us how important light is to us?
But how many of us live our lives in darkness? Not by choice, but by circumstance, by the way things happen in our lives, by the tragedies, the failures, the heartaches, the pain of life. All of these things are EXACTLY when we need to seek out “the light of the world”. Jesus. But at these times, it is also the hardest thing to do. When we are at our lowest, when we are feeling so down and even depressed because life throws our lives into a tailspin and we’re about to crash, it can be a difficult task to find even the smallest amount of will to seek out the light. That’s why we, as Christians, need to be the hands and feet of Christ and become light for each other. Sometimes we need someone else to lift us up into the light.
Dark places tend to get overrun by bad things. Like a bug infested room that gets cleared the minute someone turns on the light. Why? Because like certain unclean living places, darkness is also where sin resides. Sin loves the darkness. Let me put that in another way.
SIN = DARKNESS
CHRIST = LIGHT
WHICH ONE WILL YOU CHOOSE?
That is why it is so important to stay close to the light. Let me offer you one tip on where you can find such a light. It's in your local church, right there in the Blessed Sacrament. Christ and the Holy Spirit are the light of THIS world, and that light is also our guide. Like a beacon in the dark, they guide us to a safer and brighter place. It’s easy to become oblivious to the light though, because searching for the light takes work, it takes effort on our part and I think a lot of people simple don’t want to do the work, meaning being proactive in our faith. Praying, going to church, praying, reading scripture, praying, joining a Bible study group, praying some more. You get the picture.
If you’re reading this now, take a minute and pray these words;
“Jesus, be my light. Guide me to where you want me to go. Light the way for me and lead me safely to you.”
I pray that each one of you remain always in the light of the world…Jesus.
God Bless each of you.
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