Thought for the Week
John Ch 1 verse 5 ‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it’.
This is one of the most well-known verses in the whole of John’s Gospel. It expresses a simple fact that if you bring light into darkness then the light is visible, no matter how dark it is. On another occasion in John’s Gospel Jesus referred to himself as ‘The Light of the World’, not a light but as the light.
This imagery is clear, as far as Jesus was concerned, he was distinct, and the first disciples and the Church have agreed with him. He was distinct in that as God his influence in this world is way beyond that of any human, before or after. I always think of Jesus shining in the darkness in two ways, firstly that he illuminates the way forward making following him clear. Secondly, that in the difficulties that are always present in life in one form or another, as we look to Jesus, and away from our own difficulties, then the light of his presence puts things into perspective. No matter how dark the situation the light of the presence of Jesus is always visible above and beyond the problem. As the limitations on our movements are relaxed you might like to take time to ponder where it is that you would like Jesus to bring some clarity and direction, to the darkness that isolation may have brought upon us.
Dear Lord Jesus, please shine the light of your presence into the uncertainty that this virus is having upon our world. May we see a way forward through trusting in you.
Amen