Darkness is Overcome by Christ

We hear how the Incarnation of Christ’s assuming humanity has turned the entity of a dark world into the light of God’s Presence. It isn’t like flipping a wall switch to change a darkened room with four walls being flooded with the light of security. How much light touches the fear of falling with a feeling of safety or waking a sleeping family member at night assuring someone is close by during a bad dream.

During the WWII years the air-raid warden would comb the neighborhood warning the light from a lit cigarette could be seen miles away from an enemy plane. Imagine the tiny flicker of a one watt bulb can make a difference towards a possible attack from an enemy.

Consider how the Light emitting from God can reach humans falling from the attraction of sin. Since the evil that surrounds the souls of human beings can only exist in a darkened world there needs to be a photo-cell or device that calls for light when the daylight disappears. The strange scenario that occurs only in a dark world is so no one can see what is around the next corner waiting to encompass our blinded steps and traps our ability to back away from what has trapped us. That is sin!

When the Holy Trinity decided to create human beings, they knew that only their eternal Light could keep the human race free from sin. Through the sense of the God of heaven the Word would bring into view a Light that would illuminate a fallen world and become the ominous reality of safety for each sinner.

Listen again to the words from John’s Prologue regarding The Word of God’s Presence: “What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race.” (Jn 1: 4).

Jesus spoke about himself being the light for men; “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (Jn 8: 12). “We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I Am the light of the world. (Jn 9: 4 - 5). “But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin.” “Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is nothing in him to cause a fall. Whoever hates his brother is in darkness; he walks in darkness and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” (1 Jn 1: 7, 9 - 11).

“And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does evil things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (Jn 3: 19 - 21).

Through Christ, who is the light of the world, we are freed from the darkness of sin!

Ralph B. Hathaway