For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”
-John 3:16-21 NRSV
The Light of God
I suspect that if you are observing the season of Advent then you’re not like the people who “loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.” It is also probably not too much of a stretch to assume that you are drawn to the light of Christ. However, that doesn’t mean that darkness ceases.
Our world is all too filled with darkness, and we may find ourselves in the midst of darkness at times. For sure we can take ourselves to places of darkness, but it can also find us on its own. A loved one dies, a disruption of employment, a health crisis, and on and on. There is no shortage of darkness.
It’s tempting during Advent, as we prepare/hope/anticipate and do all those other #Adventword things, to assume we can just forget about the darkness. Maybe if we act like there’s not any darkness it will disappear from our lives. However, darkness can have a way of enveloping us instead. We can’t push away darkness. We can’t hide from darkness. We can’t fight it with more darkness. However, if we go back to the beginning of John’s gospel, we find God’s answer to darkness.
In those first few verses of John, we are reminded that Jesus is the light of world, and that, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:5) It is perhaps one of the most uplifting things ever said. As Christians, we are not exempted from darkness. Our lives are not immune to the pains, betrayals, and shortcomings of this world, especially for so many folks during this holiday time of the year. And still, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”
Even as we are in the midst of our Advent anticipation we are still illuminated by the light of Christ. It is that very light that will see us safely to what we are yearning for on Christmas morning. The light given as a gift from God because, “God so loved the world”. God so loves you, loves you so much that the light of Christ is the gift God places in you. It is through that love that you will have light throughout any darkness, it is through that love that you will know that you are a child of God. God loves the world, God loves you, and God will be your light throughout all darkness.
The Rev. Bryan Beard
Vicar
The Church of the Holy Cross, Owasso