Borrowed Light

Genesis 1:3

‘And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.’

All the life we know of depends on light – in our case, the light of the sun. Even those plants and animals that live in the darkest caves or the depths of the ocean ultimately rely on sunlight, often at many removes. But in the depths of space, where darkness really reigns, we have yet to find any trace of life. So it’s not surprising that the writers of the Old and New Testaments so often use light and darkness as metaphor. Light = life, goodness, fruit. Darkness = death, evil, barrenness. Thus John’s Gospel describes Jesus: ‘In Him was life, and the life was the light of all mankind.’

Jesus talked about light, too. He said two things for us to reflect on today. In John 8:12, he said ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’ And in Matthew 5:14, he said to us ‘You are the light of the world.’

How can we be the light of the world? Bring life, goodness, fruit? Perhaps physics can help. Do you remember those plastic stars that were stuck to the ceilings of children’s bedrooms? Those were phosphorescent. If you let them spend some time in the light, they absorbed the light and then they could glow all night. And phosphorescence is related to fluorescence – the ability to take in invisible ultraviolet light and give it out again, as visible light that people can see.

How would it feel to be a fluorescent, phosphorescent Christian! If we spend some time each day in the presence of the Light of the World, perhaps the light we absorb will enable us to give out the invisible love of God in ways that everybody can see – and maybe we can glow all night too!

‘But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.’ (1 Peter 2:9)

Act – Spend some intentional time in the light of Christ today!