Look out your window. How many street lights, lit signs (whether they are on or off at the moment), or windows from other buildings do you see? Can you see any other sources of artificial lights, like traffic lights?
One adjustment we had to make with our move to a remote town is there are no street lights where we live. In fact, there are no artificial lights at all except for what you use yourself. So when it's dark, it's very dark. Of course, that means any source of light is much more noticeable, whether it be the stars, our neighbour's porch, or someone walking with a flashlight far down the road.
We don't like the dark. It's unknown and unpredictable, so we do our best to overcome darkness - physical, emotional, and spiritual. This is why I have such appreciation for John 1:5. We explored this verse this morning in our Slow Journey through John, but there are some other ways this single verse can impact our daily life with God.
What I appreciate most about this verse is how it succinctly states three truths we must grab hold of if we want to experience flourishing life.
1. The reality of darkness
It may be easy to see the presence of darkness in the world. A brief scan of new headlines will quickly affirm that. However, what about darkness within? Sadly, many followers of Jesus have been taught to ignore internal darkness. We tell ourselves we mustn't give it power by acknowledging it, so we ignore it, or put on a plastic smile when we look in the mirror and pretend it's not there, or we refuse to address it by naively declaring spiritual victory without even understanding why it's there.
The bible teaches us darkness is real and invasive, and if we want to experience abundant life we must address it rather than ignore it.
Where do you acknowledge the presence of darkness in your life or in the world around you?
2. The presence of light
However, although John 1:5 acknowledges the darkness, it also points out there is a light shining in it. We know from the Prologue as a whole (John 1:1-18) that this light is the Light, the Word, who is Jesus, and his light shines out of the Life he is and the life he offers.
Let me jump back to life in our (dark) remote town for moment. The other night I was taking the garbage to the shed (a 30-second walk away), and noticed there were shadows on the ground. At first I thought someone was shining a spotlight near me, but it was the moon! It had come out from behind the clouds and was bright enough to create shadows.
I never would have noticed this in the city, but here, where the darkness is truly dark, the moon was bright.
Sometimes, acknowledging the darkness opens our eyes to see light shining within it. That means when we face internal darkness, admitting it's there and real then gives us the ability to see the light in that darkness. If we are in a dark valley, Jesus is there with us.
Where do you see the presence of light (the Light) in you or in the world around you?
3. Light will always have the last word.
The final truth spoken by John 1:5 is that darkness does not - cannot - extinguish the light. This is key, because it means that the light is shining in our darkness whether we perceive it or not! We are prone to assume if we do not notice light in the darkness, there is no light, but nothing could be farther from the truth.The moon I saw the other night was shining when it was behind the clouds, even though I couldn't see it. The fact I did not notice it didn't change the fact of it's shining.
The same is true with our darkness. The light is shining, and the light will have the last word in your life. Always.
So the invitation for us is not to explain the darkness, or try to make sense of it, or even run from it, but to look for Jesus' presence within it and trust the light is there even if we cannot see it. It is an invitation to walk in faith and trust toward the flourishing life given to us by Life.
Where is God inviting you to truth the Light is shining in your darkness, even if you do not currently perceive it? How might you walk in faith today, knowing the darkness will never have the last word?
PAUSE and REFLECT on these questions. As we heard in this morning's Slow Journey through John devotional:
"You may be at the bottom of a well, but Jesus is at the bottom of the well with you, quietly present, co-suffering. Maybe he is holding your hand, maybe he’s just sitting with you. He’s not forcing you forward. He’s simply there, with you, for as long as you need to be there, and when you’re ready, he will lead you out."
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