“I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness” (Jn 12:46).
What might be the darkness that Jesus refers to? It could be anything that turns us within ourselves, away from that which is True, Good and Beautiful. This can be prejudice, ignorance, cynicism, sin, violence, hatred, war, division, dehumanization, and the list can go on.
A major root that keeps us in this darkness is fear. Jesus offers us gently the light of his Father. He encourages us to leave our self imposed imprisonment by loving us as we are, more than we can imagine, and more than we can ever mess up. Christianity is not just a set of moral principles, a set of doctrines, a philosophy, or a theology. Christianity is about an encounter with a person, the Son of God, Jesus the Christ.
The light of Jesus leads us, invites us to that which we have been created for and are restless for – an intimate relationship with God the Father and each other. Jesus reveals to us by his light of love those false substitutes and idols that distract us and keep us separated from deepening our relationship with God. We come to know God when we are willing to receive the love of the Holy Spirit and are moved to share that love with each other.
Jesus, today, help us to resist any selfish impulse or reaction based in fear and instead be willing to love as you have loved us. We can do so by simply smiling, offering to be of help, to be present to listen, and/or to be willing to be understanding, supportive and encouraging. In these small ways we allow the light of Jesus to shine in our lives and the darkness will not overcome it!
Spiritual Stepping Stones