The Light of the World

“The city has no need of the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God shines on it, and the Lamb is its lamp.” Revelation 21:3

I have a lamp in our home office I use when I am practicing my mandolin. I turn it on by simply touching the base. Touching it twice more increases the illumination and, with one more, tap, turns it off. It took me awhile to get used to it. I would tap it; “on”! I would tap two times; “brightest!” But, then I would reposition it for better light, and the moment it touched it; “OFF!” I finally have the hang of things, though.

I need the extra light to see the music pages for practice. The print is perfect, the contrast couldn’t be any better, but without the right amount of light I am unable to discern what is on the page. In so many ways we would stop dead in our track without light.

I am told that there are places so far out in the universe that you will have distanced yourself so far from any “sources” of light that the entire universe is pitch black. Think about a country night with a perfectly clear midnight sky. Everywhere, from horizon to horizon, the inky heavens are dotted with pinpoints of light. And, as you scan the sky, some seem to collect in starry blobs. Some boldly light the night sky while others barely pierce the darkness with their light.

Yet, somewhere millions of light-years from the spot on where your feet touch Mother Earth, someone else could gaze into the same sky and see, well, nothing. They could not even see their hands near their faces, their eyes would be absolutely useless. Having no light by which to see, they would be virtually blind, even though their eyes were working perfectly.

God has planned a time for the human race where we are no longer dependent on secondary sources of light. God is everything. Now we glimpse him darkly, like looking in a Fun House mirror. We know Him through Christ, we understand Him through the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit is sent to glorify Him within us; yet, for all that, we perceive only the tiniest portion of the Him who is Light itself.

Jesus said that He is the Light of the World. In a conversation with a teenage friend this week she wondered who first “thought up” religion. Not a bad question, actually. What would it mean to meet the first person who ever had the concept of “God”? Of course, any perusal of anthropology and ancient history will reveal all sorts of strange conceptions; from God-as-animal to God-as-warrior to God-as-ancestor. One tribe would go to war hoping to overtake the other tribe and its gods, hoping to secure a stronger position by adding one more god to their pantheon.

Jesus said that He is the Light of the World. It takes little time reading through the gospels to realize Jesus said some things about Himself that are far different that any religious teacher who ever lived. “The Light of the World”; full of ego, or full of truth. “The Light of the World”; mega-maniac or One True God.

Take time, if you haven’t, to slowly read the gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Ponder what Jesus says about Himself. Observe how He treats others. What does He value? How different are they from what our present world values? How similar? Anyone who takes the time to truly get to know Him realizes how perfect He is. He is unquenchable fire brought near. He is purity itself embracing the infected. He is Lord above All taking the last place in line, the back of the bus, the slave’s place. He is King, He is Shepherd, He is Glorious, He is Compassion.

The battle every follower of Jesus wages is the battle of self. We can read books that tell us what Christians should do and be and join a bandwagon of political pundits, mystical gurus, or Bible-thumping finger-waggers. But, if we soak in the Gospels, if we let the light of Christ shine more and more within our lives, “self” will die for lack of oxygen. The true fire of Jesus Himself will begin to light our personality from within.

When the end comes and we are all settled around the Throne there will be no shadows, for He is Light itself. We shall know Him perfectly who once we knew in shadow. We will love Him completely who we know give only slivers of devotion. I have so many questions, so much unsolved and much darkness I yet do not understand. I cannot wait for the Perfect Day when all is Light and we stand in His presence bathed in that same perfection.