Yesterday morning, I went outside and just sat in the sun. The sun was so bright that I had to close my eyes, but I was ok with that, because I was simply enjoying the warmth and lack of darkness.
The comfort of sunshine is a familiar sensation to us as humans.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life--the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us, wrote John, revving up his audience for a huge revelation (1 John 1:1-2).
Then, in the next paragraph, this is what he wrote: This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all (v. 5).
A simple thought, but a revolutionary one.
A while ago, I wrote about walking into the "darkness" of the unknown with God. In order to travel the path He has designed for you, you have to give up control and fix your eyes on the hope that is unseen. You have to become blind to the world's ways of understanding and trust Him completely.
I realized yesterday morning as I was sitting in the sun, too blinded by light to open my eyes, that maybe God's path doesn't necessarily trailblaze through the blinding darkness of uncertainty. Maybe, instead, it is a journey deeper into the blinding light of His presence.
And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts (2 Peter 1:19)...
...that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9)...
...for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light...(Ephesians 5:8)...
For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).
The light is the knowledge of God--relationship with God--we have because of Jesus. Light is the truth of who God's character, which we can only come to know through His Son.
"I am the light of the world," said Jesus. "Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12).
I know it can feel like darkness when you follow God. You may have to blind yourself to the cares of the world. You feel like you can't see anything. But Jesus promises us that we will not walk in darkness. We walk in light.
I think, too, that though we are at first blinded by His light, our eyes begin to adjust as we travel further and further into His presence. We begin to have heavenly perspective.
I know that blows your mind. It blew mine. Take a moment to absorb the rays.
According to John, God is pure light that is untouched by darkness. All humans submit to one of two types of blindness. We can be blinded by the darkness of the world (1 John 2:11), stumbling around in hatred and offense, without hope of seeing anything. OR, we can walk in the light of Jesus, completely set free from all darkness, constantly having our vision adjusted to really see the truth. According to John, God is pure light that is untouched by darkness. If we walk in His light, we have to trust that He will give us new eyes to see only the light, melting away all the things we thought were lurking in the dark.
When you were a little kid, your parents told you not to look directly into the sun because it would hurt your eyes. But I think that spiritually, we have to be unafraid to let our eyes be altered by the magnificent, burning light of His presence. So, like a little child, cast off the darkness, and be welcomed into the warm, pure light of His love.
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