It's a little bright in here! Day 23 Lent 2015

Day 23 Lent 2015

"I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness."  John 12.46

Christ of St. John of the Cross
Dali, 1951

The funny thing about light is that it can be both comforting and oppressive.  If you are struggling to stay on a trail at night then a flash light can be your best friend.  That same light, when held by someone else and pointed at your face can become disorienting and the cause of concern.  We often just think of light in its positive meaning, but it does have its "dark side"  --pardon the pun! A nice dark steak house can hide the fact that I have a little bit of stain on my shirt; while a well light restaurant gives me no cover.  

If I'm honest, sometimes I prefer hiding in the dark.  I prefer the shadows, because in the shadows others can't see my imperfections.   Jesus calls us out of the shadows, out of the darkness into the light. This can be somewhat painful.  It's like looking at the face in the mirror and wondering what ever happened to that poor chap!   But Jesus' call to the light is not for the sake of embarrassment but for the sake of honesty.  That we might truly come to understand the nature of who we are, that we are creatures, that we often fall short of the glory of God and that we are more dependent than we would care to let on.   Good!  This kind of honest assessment helps us to see the reality of our brokenness and drives us into the arms of Christ.  

But, here's the thing, once the light has caused us to squirm and face our own reflection, it now become the variable 'lamp unto our feet' and helps to guild our way home!  

A prayer for today:  "Dear Lord, the light of your presence is both judgment and mercy (Law and Gospel).  Help us to prefer the honesty of the light to the delusions of our darkness.  Amen"