Let There Be Light

 3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. – Genesis 1:3

The word “light” is used in the New International Version of the Bible 207 times.  Sometimes it is used as a verb and sometimes it is used to describe weight, but mostly it is used to mean the opposite of darkness.  Light is a very powerful tool.  Have you ever noticed someone bring in “dark” into a well lit room?  Probably not.  But we immediately notice when light is brought into a dark room.

There are so many places in the Bible where darkness is described as a bad thing… evil, or lack of knowledge, or simply a lack of God; while light is about goodness and understanding and knowing God.  Jesus himself is referred to by John as the “Light of the World that shines into the darkness.”  Jesus is the epitome of goodness and understanding and knowing God, and he casts out evil and ignorance.

I always wondered about the creation story… in the third verse God said “Let there be light” but it is not until later on that he creates the sun and moon and stars.  So what was this first light?  Was it Jesus?  Our faith teaches that Jesus already was as was the Father and the Holy Spirit.  He was part of the power behind creation.  Was it goodness?  Was it knowledge and understanding?  I think it was all of that. I think the power for goodness, understanding and the knowledge of God is part of each of us as a gift of the original creation.  It is as much a part of us as water and air.

But think about water and air… if we don’t breathe in the air, we suffocate and die.  If we don’t drink water we dehydrate and die.  If we don’t take in that light… that original kind of light that gives us goodness, understanding and the knowledge of God… we will die.  Maybe not physically, but certainly spiritually.  Can our souls survive long in ignorance and evil and the absence of God?

We need to hunger and thirst for that light.  There are many ways to drink it in… worship, prayer, Bible study, fellowship with other Christians, Holy Communion, serving others.  It only takes a small amount of light to cast out darkness.  Let there be light!

Father,
Let us seek out the light in whatever way we can find it.  Let it fill our spirits and souls.  Help us to desire this light in the same way we need water and air. Amen.

Joys: sleeping late; taking time for a mani- pedi-; a quiet morning