Light

Life Notes—April 26, 2012

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”  1 John 1:5-7

My children always slept with a night light.  It was part of their bedtime ritual for us to tuck them in, say prayers and turn on their night light before turning out their room lights.  It made them feel secure at night, knowing if they were to wake up they could see the familiar surroundings of their rooms.  We also had a night light in the bathroom, so if they had to go during the night they would not walk in darkness.

I was 16 when I first flew on a commercial airline. It was a rainy, dreary day when we left Kansas City and I was amazed when we flew out of the clouds and the sun was shining brightly.  My spirits lifted as the gloom was replaced with light.  It is amazing what a little light can do—a flashlight on a camping trip, headlights on a dark road, a full moon on a cloudless night. It may go without saying, but light is the remedy for darkness.

What is it about darkness that creates fear?  I think it is the unknown.  Even places familiar to us in the light can become fearful places in the dark.  It is the result from a medical test we wait anxiously to receive.  It is the anxious wait for a grade on the final exam.  It is the amount due in taxes on the yet-to-be-received tax forms from an accountant.  The unknown makes us uneasy.  We imagine the worst.  We know the shadow in front of us is just the couch, but is there something on it?  Is something hiding behind it?  Is there someone behind me?  We imagine the worst when we do not know.

The Bible tells us God is light—an amazing analogy and a literal truth.  Light cures darkness. Knowing overcomes the unknown. Shedding light on anything provides knowledge.  Knowledge makes it unnecessary to continue to imagine the worst.  Shining light in our darkness is what God does.  We may not be able to see what lies ahead of us, but with God we know we need not be fearful.  God lights our way and, following in that light, we are never left in the dark.

Tom’s sermon downtown is “We Believe in the Forgiveness of Sins,” based on 1 John 1:5-2:1a.  Life worship begins at 10:00 AM in Brady Hall and traditional worship is at 8:30 and 11:00 in the sanctuary.  Mitch preaches at the west campus where worship at 9:00 and 11:00.  His sermon title is “Hunger is not a game: Our World,” and is based on Matthew 25:32-40.

Come home to church this Sunday.  Reacquaint yourself with the Light!

Greg Hildenbrand, Life Music Coordinator