Key verse for today: John 8:12, "Jesus spoke to the people again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me won’t walk in darkness but will have the light of life.'"
Sometimes certain phrases from the Bible trigger hymns or songs and vice versa. When Jesus says, "I am the light of the world", I almost always hear Jim Sthrathdee singing these words in my head.
The chorus says:
I am the Light of the world
You people come and follow me
If you follow and love
You'll learn the mystery of what you were meant to do and be
The verses are based on a poem entitled, "Now the Work of Christmas Begins" by Howard Thurman. This song and poem probably influenced me in my Christian faith because I got it in my head as we sang it. The mystery of what we were meant to do and be is something with which we all struggle.
The Pharisees struggled with the identity of Jesus in today's passage. And it does sound grandiose if you think about this traveling rabbi making these claims. These are the claims made be the early church and by the church today.
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| Photo by Robert Walker, stock.xchng and posted in honor of Emily Mackay |
What does it mean for Jesus to be the light of the world?
More importantly, how do we reflect that light?
Breath prayer: Blessed Light, shine through my life.
It feels as if there is so much darkness in our culture that needs to see a light that will force it to reveal itself for what it is. Maybe our reflection of Jesus' light can help to shine some truth on those things that are false in our culture. Maybe our reflection of Jesus' light can illuminate those things that are sacred in life and help the sacred to shine brighter than the profane. We reflect the Light when we are faithful to what the Light shows us as the Way. We reflect the Light when we speak the truth in love to those who prefer the shadows.
ReplyDeleteYes and through prevenient grace, we can also speak to where the light is already shining in places people may not ordinarily see it. I'm convinced that Jesus did this as we see the ordinary examples he used in extraordinary ways for the parables.
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