Reflecting the Light

Chuckle: "Never trust a faith healer who limps!"

Quote: "A Christian should be a walking sermon, a breathing prayer, a living poem, a visible spirit, and a human candle." --William Arthur Ward

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12 NIV).

Many years ago, I received a guided tour through Diamond Cave in North Arkansas. With the cavern completely lighted, many beautiful and varied rock formations were visible. But the guide wanted us to experience the total darkness within the cave, and at the deepest point under ground he turned off the lights. Up to that point, I thought I knew what darkness was, but I was wrong. I had never experienced such inky blackness before. It was horrible! I came away with a new appreciation for light that dispels the darkness.

We know that the sun is the source of physical light on earth. The moon only reflects the sun's light, and has no inherent light of its own. When I move my thoughts out of the physical realm and into the spiritual realm, an amazing corollary takes shape. In our passage, Jesus declares that He is the Light of the world, but in Matthew 5:14, He says to us: "You are the light of the world." And in John 1:6-9, the Apostle John referred to John the Baptist this way: "There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that Light (Jesus), so that through him men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man (person) was coming into the world."

Along with John the Baptist, we followers of Christ are not the light of the world, but are to allow His light to shine through us. As the moon only reflects the light of the sun, our lives are to reflect the light of the Son. In the same way the lights dispelled physical darkness in that cave, so Christ dispels the spiritual darkness in the hearts of people. And when Jesus calls us the light of the world, he knows we have no light of our own but are only reflectors of His light to others.

In the same way that the reflected light by the moon casts light upon the earth at night, our lives can reflect the light of Christ into the lives of those around us. Without the light of Jesus, there is total spiritual darkness in the hearts of people. The problem is that sometimes pride makes us want to be the light rather than a reflector of the Light -- the lamp through whom the light shines. Speaking of His light shining through us, Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

Love, Jerry & Dotse