Embracing God-Light

This is the perfect time to remember why God’s word can serve as a light to our dark path.

“This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.”

John 3:19-21 The Message

So often we miss-identify our crises. As dangerous and confounding as the Corona Virus has been, the bigger threat is choosing darkness over pleasing God. It is tempting to equate light with knowing stuff, certainty, orderliness, and conviction. That has not been my experience.

For me, light and God-work go hand-in-hand. Not certainty.

This is good news because it means that a pandemic and political unrest do not constitute darkness. They are simply two more opportunities for God-light. How might this God-light look? It depends. But in order for it to be light, it has to include humility, curiosity, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control. And more.

God-light is exposure - not of others, but of ourselves. God-light asks us to see ourselves as we are, not as we wish we were. Without shame or judgment. Now THAT is work. But it is the path we are called to.

For today, instead of thinking about someone else’s evil - ask yourself: how am I evil? Instead of shaking your head at your perception of someone else’s denial - ask yourself: where am I in denial about my own life? Instead of ranting about your delusional third cousin, ask yourself: where am I deluded? THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS! This is the path.

May God’s light reveal what it must in order for us to receive all that we need to be fully human, alive, vibrant, and true to him. May we love BIG.