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| May 2010 |
| Billie Silvey |
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| 'L E T there be L I G H T' |
| When God made the world, the first thing he made was light.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:1-3). The first book of the Hebrew scriptures begins with the creation of light. Light was required for life to flourish, even though we humans didn’t realize until later how much the rest of creation depends on it. Then, on the third day, God caused dry land to form, separating the waters. That produced the perfect environment for plants to spread on the earth, producing energy in the chemical labs of their leaves. This energy provided food for the living food chain that followed, climaxing with us human beings. Light creates an environment for us to function optimally-- physically, intellectually and morally--by making our deeds, and hence or natures, evident and by giving us the ability to see what is around us, to work with it and stamp it with our own creative flair. Light is a rich metaphor for the varied concepts that are basic or lives as Christians. According to world religion scholar Huston Smith, “Light is a universal metaphor for God.” John agrees, “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5b). John uses light in his writings as a metaphor for Jesus. “The true light that gives light to every [person] was coming into the world” (John 1:9). He urges us to emulate Jesus by walking, as he does, in the light of moral behavior, unity and purity. “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son purifies us from every sin. (1 John 1:7). The Apostle Paul uses light as a metaphor for intelligence, comprehension, understanding and conscious awareness. “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). God, who is light, wants us to live basking in the light of his presence. He will banish the darkness of fear, immorality and divisiveness as we begin to reflect his light and become light ourselves to those around us. |