WATCHWORD:
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5
Meditation:
Speed of Darkness
Here is a silly question. We know that science has measured the speed of light. It is measured in ‘light-years’, which tests our imaginations. Ok, so what’s the speed of darkness? As I said, a silly question.
Yet, maybe we should take that just a little more seriously than we do. Maybe we ought to put some definition on the word darkness. Just in your life circle what would you include in darkness? Worry, sadness, anger, sickness, you get the idea. Darkness colors our world in ways that we would rather not experience. We could probably also include the absence of a close relationship with Jesus.
Three months ago I started a modified food plan, called GOLO. I gave up certain things, like Dove dark chocolate, cut down on my portions at meals, greatly reduced my consumption of bread and starches, had a rare glass of an adult beverage, and lo and behold I achieved my target weight after three months. I would have to admit that the last few weeks I was sick with a bad cold, and that helped me achieve my target weight. In the end I lost 22 pounds, and a month later it is still gone!
What does that have to do with light and darkness? As I got closer to my target weight the call of dove chocolate pieces became stronger. My taste for wine returned, although not as strong as before. I was still eating a skimpy meals and being satisfied. In other words, darkness had not fully overcome my good intentions of maintaining a healthy diet.
All right, this is not about a diet this is about those times in our lives when we allow the darkness to come in and spoil our life of faith. We may start out believing that God is in charge and that he loves us, but then our comfort begins to play a larger role, convenience becomes important. Do I really want to reach out to those people, maybe I’ll do that next week. It’s a new year, I’ve got to pay attention to my family. In other words there are so many conflicting pressures that impinge on our faith walk, even in the midst of Christmas and beyond.
How about you, how do you measure the speed of darkness? How quickly can we go from good intentions to bad habits? In the blink of an eye? In the brief moment of a thought, when you’re confronted with a choice between something you would like to do and something that the Lord is leading you to? I believe that darkness has sharp elbows that forces its way into our lives…at the speed of light?
The walk of a Christian is not always easy and while we have the light that illumines our path, we stray. This is why staying close to the Lord and trusting Him is the key to a blessed life. May the Light of our Lord continue to shine, overcoming the darkness that tantalizes and calls to us. So be it.
Brain-Teaser Silly Questions:
How do you know when you’re out of invisible ink?
A clear conscious is usually the sign of a bad memory.
What happens if you get scared half to death, twice?
If your car could travel at the speed of light, would your headlights work?
Closing Prayer:
May the God of light brighten our way and lead us on the path that the Lord has chosen for us. In Jesus name, amen.
