Scripture: John 1:1-14
In the beginning, before land, before sea, before planets and galaxies, before thought and time itself, God began creating.
The voice spoke, and it was so.
Light.
Primordial light split through the nothingness, shinning, radiant.
That light shined the path for more and more and more. Teeming galaxies, spinning, creating, creatures and land and waters, and humanity. Uniquely created in God’s image.
The light shined, but shadows persisted. Shadows of sin, injustice, cruelty, apathy, greed, jealousy, hatred, persisted through century after century, prophet after prophet after prophet until that light took on flesh in a unique way. The primordial light, the thought of light before the light existed, took on flesh and came down into the world. At one point, sin thought it had snuffed out that light for good. But it hadn’t. The light cannot be stopped, the light will not be stopped. The light cannot be doused or quenched. The light is alive and continues and persists, inside you and inside me. You are not God and you are not Jesus. But God’s light still has work to do in this world and that light needs you, God chooses to need you. And if those words feel uncomfortable to hear, that’s ok. The church is very good at praising God, praising Christ, and giving glory to God, which it should. We should. We need to. Something the church isn’t so good at, is helping us own the agency, own the choice and power God shares with us. Are there truly prideful people out there, egocentric, with massively puffed up opinions of themselves? For sure. But I think, more often, people, regular folks, think too little of themselves instead of too highly. Things happen around us and to us and we start to shrink. We start to make our light small, hiding it, dimming it. But God did not create you to hide in shame and fear. God created you to shine. God created you to shine! As Christ told his disciples, you are the light of the world meant to shine out and shine on for all to see. The primordial light God spoke into existence, the light that took on flesh as Christ, that light lives within you. That light needs you. God chooses to need you.
So hear the good news:
There is an unquenchable light within you, meant to fill you with strength, love, resilience, courage, grace, and hope.
Hear the good news:
There is an unstoppable light within you, meant to shine out, shine in, and shine on.
Dare to believe that God loves you enough to fill you with light and wants warmth, radiance, and abundance for you.
Dare to believe that this world needs your light.
God’s light is alive in you. Keep it burning. Keep it bright. Shine on.