Light and Love

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The Light of the World

Scripture: 1 John 1:5

            This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

Devotion:

            Light comes from God. Light gives life to the world. But a large segment of our world has loved darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. Darkness can not overcome the light (John 1:5). The world continues to pursue darkness and evil. Jesus cautions us that humankind will love the darkness because to walk in the light would expose their evil deeds.

            In the New Testament there are plenty of what we call vice lists. I won’t list them here, just turn on the 24-hour news channels and you will probably have them covered. That is name of the evil that is done in the world in darkness. But as Christians we are called to walk in the light that love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness and self-control, provide. (These you probably won’t find mentioned on the 24-hour news channel.) We are called to follow Jesus and we know he walked in the light. All the way from his birth in a manger in Bethlehem to a cross outside of Jerusalem into a tomb and back out of that tomb again. Jesus was a light for us who believe, so that we would not need to fear darkness even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

            Jesus calls us to dwell in the light. When little children sing “This Little Light of Mine” in Sunday School they are proclaiming the fact that Jesus gives his followers a light of their own. In John 8:12 Jesus says “I am the light of the world. Who ever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life”. We then who share in the life of Christ will have the light of Christ to take out into our dark world.

            We must not hide the light that we receive from Christ. It must go with us to places other than church. On the job, at Walmart, at home, our light must shine. All people should know us by this light. Which is light sparked by love. The more we love God and our neighbors the brighter Jesus light within us will shine.

            Light and love these two are related. God is light. God is love. These two truths from scripture are well known on their own, but not well known as a duo. Scripture is plain that they are close relatives; spiritual light springs from spiritual (or agape) love. Let us seek to be spiritual powerhouses of light and love wherever we go this week.





Prayer

Help us Lord to seek your light and to be filled with your love. Let us move forward to claim victory over darkness and hate. Move in us O God to be love and light to a dark and dangerous world. Amen.

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