'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it ... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.'
Broadcasters and commentators will often describe themselves as 'shedding light' on a particular issue or subject. While this may be true, we might also pause to consider the degree to which their particular prejudices and intentions affect the colour of that light, and the angle from which it is shone. It would be naive to suggest otherwise, for whenever we tell a story or share an experience, it will always be told through the lens of our own experience and beliefs.
We are called to be a people who deliberately seek to see our world and ourselves in a different light. But the light of which we speak, is not of human fabrication, filtered and positioned so as to highlight the interests of and obscure the failings of its initiator. This is God's eternal light, an inextinguishable light that has shone since the dawn of creation.
Those who first declared that they had seen God's glory were not describing some great palace or majestic throne. They had been witnesses to events and experiences that matched, and often exceeded, the turmoil, struggle and uncertainty that our own world faces today. But they had seen those events in a different light; they saw and believed that God's salvation became real through earthly circumstances that for many would have simply caused dismay.
No-one can dispute the struggles that our world is facing, but our message remains a message of hope. For the God of whom we speak is not detached and indifferent towards his creation. In Christ, God has become one of us and one with us, and God's salvation purpose remains indelibly etched in our world's history.
God of life, help me to see the world around me in the light of who you are, and the Word you have given. AMEN
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