In the end, all is light
John 3:16-21 (NRSV)
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”
I remember when I was a kid, I was terrified of the dark. I’d seen enough scary movies to know that the cover of night was when all of the creepiest deeds were accomplished by the most malicious of villains. At night I was my weakest, my most vulnerable—I couldn’t see to anticipate the attacks of the monster under the bed. Without the clarity of light, I’d have to be extra prepared for every possible thing that could go wrong. I was so committed to being on guard that I would imagine the little clown characters on my wallpaper morphing into distorted faces and monsters.
I like to think I’ve outgrown this fear, but actually the truth is I’m never without a flashlight one click away, and I rarely find myself in a situation anymore where I truly can’t see what I need to. So without the risk of limited sight, I don’t get nearly as afraid. I have light on my side, in my pocket—light is my guide and my security. Having light available lets me move forward into the unknown with confidence instead of fear.
Have you ever been on an ocean at night? Or in a desert? The woods? Even standing on a beach—the expanse of darkness is a moving experience for me, and for modern people. It’s rare we ever feel the real terror of the dark anymore. That also means it’s just as rare we experience the mystery of the dark. The not-knowing. The thrill of endless possibility. The anxiety of endless possibility. What could be out there?
Of course the truth is we’re never all the way in the dark, or all the way in the light, are we? It’s more of a gradient, a combination—as in a room dimming with the afternoon sunset, or the light of the moon and stars in a clear, open field away from the city. Light and dark always coexist—they need each other.
Imagine reading innocently and peacefully in a slowly darkening room, and the startling effect of the lights flipping on. Now imagine sleeping peacefully in a dark room, and the black-out curtains are ripped open to expose the bright morning sun. What’s your first response? The lights are actually helpful for you—you can see better, you can begin to awaken—but in the sudden light you shield your eyes, and probably make an enemy of this person who blinded you. It feels like you’ve been attacked. But eventually you adjust, you wake up, you might even feel thankful for the light-bearer who accosted you moments ago.
“And this is the judgment: that light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.”
Here is the truth: there is an invitation to wake up, to see more clearly, to embrace the light that’s been shining since the beginning of time.
Light exposes that there is no actual distance between light and darkness, instead, light enters in, light exposes what’s in the shadow, light sees the hurt and pain and fear, and shares in it without becoming it, and light gives perspective, by showing to what was kept alone in the dark its place in the Whole of things.
And what you’ll find in that light is that everything is interconnected. By the Light we see that there’s no real distinction between groups of people, there’s no need for exclusivity, there is no difference between me and you.
There’s also no need to have answers, because you know that what’s left unknown simply hasn’t been reached by the light yet. There’s no need to panic about figuring out what’s out there in the dark. There’s no need to categorize or resolve what seems chaotic and out of control—in the end, all is light. The truest and realest thing there is, is the love that binds us and binds all things together. Everything points back to the life force of love and self-giving and new life, and in the person of Jesus we see a life created from perfect, self-giving Love.
This is the light—and anything and anyone who denies this reality chooses the illusion of separation. Anything and anyone who denies that all is love has chosen death. To deny love, to deny light, is to deny the truth of all things.
“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”