Today’s Reading: John 1:4 NRSV
“…in him was life, and the life was the light of all people,”
Several years ago, my family took a tour of Mammoth Cave in Kentucky led by a park ranger as our guide. After going some distance down into this magnificent cavern, the ranger had us pause and, after warning us, shut off the lights. It was the first time I had ever experienced total darkness. It is absolutely disorienting. There is no longer any sense of location in space. There is no sense of direction: up or down, forward or behind, left or right. All sense of where you are disappears and you are left with a total feeling of helplessness. Thus, light gives us a sense of where we are and how to live in our environment. Light allows us to move in a direction that is purposeful and meaningful. Light enables us to see reality as it is and to make life choices accordingly.
It appears that many people today live in a state of total darkness and its result of a feeling of helplessness. They are unsure of the meaning of their lives. They have no sense of direction. They tell themselves that their 50 Facebook acquaintances are their “true friends”. They have lost any sense of financial or emotional security. They seem to find it difficult to determine what is True versus what is propaganda and lies. They have lost sight of the reality of what it means to live in a community; instead focusing solely on their individualistic approach to life. They live in isolation in what is true darkness.
The scripture speaks of Jesus as “the light of life for all people”. What Jesus embodied and called all of us to become was what God intended human life to be. He called people to see the Kingdom of God as a present reality when they lived with compassion and caring for others, even those who persecuted them. He taught people to love one another as he embodied the love of God. He revealed where true security and meaning are to be found in our relationship to God and our fellow human community. He revealed what each of our lives is intended to be. And when we seek to follow him, the light shines in our own darkness and overcomes it.
Reflections 