Nebraska Synod ELCA

Praise the Lord!

Happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in God’s commandments…

They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright…

They are not afraid of evil tidings; their hearts are firm, secure in the LORD.

— Psalm 112:1,4,7 — 

I’ve been thinking a lot about light in recent weeks. As we’re nearing the winter solstice, the sun rises later and sets earlier, which is great for power companies and not so great for pretty much everything else. So I went looking for what scripture has to say about “light.” There are over 60 mentions of “light” in the Psalms, which isn’t particularly surprising. The Gospel of John is also very light-centered, beginning with the prologue and as a theme running throughout. I was a bit surprised, however, to discover that the book of Job contains 34 references to “light” – more than the Gospel of John and second only to the Psalms. Once I thought about what brought me to the question, though, this began to make sense to me.

The central question of the book of Job is: what does it mean when “bad” things happen to “good” people? The action in the book of Job happens in just three chapters, two at the beginning and one at the end. The remaining 39 chapters are all commentary on sin and righteousness in the midst of unimaginable suffering. It’s not a philosophical treatise: Job is really suffering, and he and his friends are doing all they can to process that suffering. In a world where light equals good and darkness equals bad, Job and his friends are looking desperately for a light that will guide them through Job’s present darkness.

Light matters most when the darkness is deepest. Even a tiny bit of light can pierce the bleakest darkness, and many small lights together can make darkness beautiful. This candle – the lights on the tree behind me – they remind me that with just a tiny bit of light, darkness becomes holy, a time when we see the world differently but no less filled with the presence of God and each other.

It’s no coincidence that we celebrate Christmas and Epiphany in the darkest days of the year. At Christmas, God’s light comes to the world in Jesus, signified by a star shining bright in a dark sky. Epiphany, a Greek word which means “to shine through,” is a season when the light of Christ shines into the world. That same light fills us, and as it does Christ calls us to shine that light into the world for others.

In these dark days, beloved of God, remember: Christ is a light for you, and in Christ you are a light for others. Rise in the darkness, dear church, let the light of Christ in you shine forth, and behold the beauty that is darkness filled with the holy light of God and each other. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and a blessed, light-filled, light-shining Epiphany to us all.

In the light of Christ,

Bishop Scott Alan Johnson

Questions to Ponder

1. Are you afraid of being in the dark? If so, what makes it so scary for you? If not, what does frighten you, and why?

2. Think of a time in your life when you endured through some really hard times – some “dark” days, if you will. Who were the people who helped you through? Did you see the light of God in them at that time? Can you see it in them now?

3. Who might need you to be a light for them today? How could you be that light for others?

Prayer

(from Evangelical Lutheran Worship: Psalm Prayers. © 2006 by Augsburg Fortress.)

Eternal God, in the order of your creation you have given righteousness, justice, peace, and love for the enlightenment of all people. Keep us always in that light, so that throughout our lives we may show forth the glory of the light of the world, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.