Drawn to the Light - August 10
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 89:1-18; PM Psalm 89:19-52 Judges 12:1-7; Acts 5:12-26; John 3:1-21
“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.” –John 3:21
Light attracts us.
Think of the proverbial moth being drawn to a flame. Whenever we leave our back porch light on, inevitably moths and other flying bugs come close, frenetically buzzing around its warm glow.
In our backyard here in Birmingham, we have fireflies. Whenever I start to see them flickering at dusk, my instinct is to keep watching for them in the darkness. I want to see where they will light up next. While growing up, when I would go to my grandparents’ farm in Kentucky for a week or two each summer, I was fascinated by the lightning bugs, since we didn’t have them back home in Florida. My cousin Leslie and I would go out into the yard with empty jam jars to put fireflies in when we caught them, so we could see them light up the jar like a lantern—and then we’d release them back into the darkness when it was time for us to go inside for the night.
We also have a creek the runs behind our backyard here. I have found a special spot with a rock that I can sit on underneath the trees. I listen to the peaceful sounds of the water running over the rocks and watch the current as it carries leaves and sweet pea blooms down the creek. I’ve noticed that around midday, shafts of sunlight shine down into one corner of the creek. And when that light shines down, it illuminates every detail of that part of the creek. Suddenly, the shape of each individual rock is made distinct and energetic little minnows are revealed that I can see only when that shaft of light breaking through the trees makes everything beneath the water’s surface crystal clear.
Nicodemus, a Pharisee, came to visit Jesus under the cover of darkness. Perhaps he did this because he was afraid of what others would think of him conversing with Jesus. Whatever Nicodemus’ reasons, what is clear is that he was drawn to Jesus. He wanted to know more of him. Though he had some questions for Jesus, Nicodemus said that he knew that Jesus was “a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God” (John 3:2). Nicodemus recognized that Jesus’ teaching and healing were bringing light into the darkness of the world—and he, like so many, was drawn to the light of Christ.
Jesus answers Nicodemus’ questions very straight-forwardly, and then poses some questions to him in return. Ultimately, Jesus offers Nicodemus—and all of us—the reassurance that “God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” When we allow the light of Christ to shine into our lives, that light is then reflected back out into the world around us: “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” (John 3:21).
—Becky+
Questions for Self-Reflection
In what other Scripture passages have you noticed this imagery of God’s light shining in the darkness?
How does this idea of the light of Christ show up in our Episcopal liturgy?
What is one specific memory you have of experiencing the light of Christ shining into your life through the life of another?
Daily Challenge
Think of at least one tangible way in which you can pass the light of Christ on to another person in your life today—and then try to carry that out.