Reading the lectionary for this past Sunday I kept returning to the words in John 1:
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”
Such a gift of hope we have been given.
I know many of my friends feel as if they have been walking in darkness the past year. It has been a troubling year for many reasons. Some political. Some personal. Some beyond our control and some of our own making.
Darkness can feel so overwhelming. For some it is blanketed in a shame that you can’t seem to see beyond current circumstances. In the darkness, it can be difficult to find hope. And yet it is hope that brings us out of the darkness. It is hope that shines a light on our circumstances and gives us the strength to take that next step forward.
I am obsessed with the sunrise. There is something so incredibly life-giving to me to watch the sun rise as it pushes out the darkness out of the night. Some mornings, the skies are bright and colorful, other days the sun can barely break through the cloud of haze. And yet each morning I get up in time to see that sunrise. Mornings when I sleep in and miss it, I feel like I have missed the best part of my day. It is as if I have missed the renewal of life.
Equally so, sunset with its bright colors reminds me that as we go into the dark of the night, God is still present with us. The slow setting of the sun helps us let go of the day. Maybe that day was full of joy, or maybe that day was full of despair. Maybe we feel we did all the good things that day and maybe we feel the weight of the ways in which we wish we had acted better. And so in the sunset, I find myself letting it go and asking God to forgive me as we walk into the dark of the night, together.
Stepping into the new year, I want to focus on the light that shines even in the midst of darkness. I want to focus on hope and how to bring that hope to others. I don’t want to lose sight of trusting in God. I don’t want to forget to breathe in the Holy Spirit and let her guide me. I don’t want to forget the love that Jesus showed us and commanded us to give to one another. I want to focus on those things instead of the darkness.
We have the power to bring darkness or light into our world through our beliefs and actions. We can either tear down someone or lift them up. We can see only disagreement or we can find common ground. We can wallow in despair over current events or we can take steps to change things for the better. We can bring the light of Jesus’ love…or disregard his purpose for coming to earth as a person to teach us love and goodness and give all hope.
So I encourage you in this new year to have a new season of light. Find people who are seeking to bring light into the darkness and partner with them. Find a program that inspires you and brings you joy, and then share that joy with others. Let the light of the Lord be the light that others see as you let go of the darkness. It isn’t going anywhere, unless you bring light into it. We can sit in despair and darkness and moaning; or we can move towards the light and hope that Jesus brought to us. Let that not go to waste in our day. Let us choose light for ourselves and others.
maggiemarcum 