1 John 1:5-7
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
When I was younger, I lived in Russia, and one of the crazy things that happened there each summer was this phenomenon called white nights. Basically, as the sun reaches its solar equinox sometime in June, the axis of the Earth allows for the sun to roll across the horizon and slightly sink for a short time and then, almost indignantly, rise up again to claim what was once the night's. Besides the confusion about which time to sleep, this is awesome. But to me, this phenomenon metaphorically makes a point that Paul blatantly states with "God is light".
I always think of this story told by a preacher when it comes to light. One day when he was going about his house, he opened the closet and freaked out. He closed the door, and opened it again. He got into the closet, shut the door, and then opened it again. He freaked out. Now you're probably imagining a giggling child or a man who is clearly been under too much stress and has cracked. Well, he probably was like a giggling child at this point, but it was because of the realization he had just had. He saw that, when he opened the door, there appeared light. The room where he was did not become consumed in darkness, rather the darkness inside the closet was overtaken by the light. Darkness retreats from light. Just as in the white nights, the light tramples over the darkness.
If God is light, then who is darkness? But that just shows the power of God over the powers of darkness. As another teacher appropriately said, Satan is not on the same level as God, he is on the level of the arc angel Gabriel. This warrior nature of God, this trump card that always comes out in the end, questions the half-hearted prayers and beliefs of those who have not known this character of God. How can such awesome power and yet such a simple loving grace, that wrenches the heart and overtakes any preconceived notions, be the character of our God? .... I'm still trying to figure that one out.
Light also purifies. God purifies. The light of day reveals what is hidden, and the blood of Jesus, because we are walking in the light, cleanses us from sin. God is so good. Such simple statements, John blows me away. It is as though, this is all expected, all known and revealed. It blows me away. Such a life convicts me to look at my own. Am I real? No, I'm the farthest thing from it. My heart cries out. God, you are good. How can I live any differently from what You would have me to live. I can't. Create in me, God, a boldness that will not back down with the grace of your love. God, You are good.
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
When I was younger, I lived in Russia, and one of the crazy things that happened there each summer was this phenomenon called white nights. Basically, as the sun reaches its solar equinox sometime in June, the axis of the Earth allows for the sun to roll across the horizon and slightly sink for a short time and then, almost indignantly, rise up again to claim what was once the night's. Besides the confusion about which time to sleep, this is awesome. But to me, this phenomenon metaphorically makes a point that Paul blatantly states with "God is light".
I always think of this story told by a preacher when it comes to light. One day when he was going about his house, he opened the closet and freaked out. He closed the door, and opened it again. He got into the closet, shut the door, and then opened it again. He freaked out. Now you're probably imagining a giggling child or a man who is clearly been under too much stress and has cracked. Well, he probably was like a giggling child at this point, but it was because of the realization he had just had. He saw that, when he opened the door, there appeared light. The room where he was did not become consumed in darkness, rather the darkness inside the closet was overtaken by the light. Darkness retreats from light. Just as in the white nights, the light tramples over the darkness.
If God is light, then who is darkness? But that just shows the power of God over the powers of darkness. As another teacher appropriately said, Satan is not on the same level as God, he is on the level of the arc angel Gabriel. This warrior nature of God, this trump card that always comes out in the end, questions the half-hearted prayers and beliefs of those who have not known this character of God. How can such awesome power and yet such a simple loving grace, that wrenches the heart and overtakes any preconceived notions, be the character of our God? .... I'm still trying to figure that one out.
Light also purifies. God purifies. The light of day reveals what is hidden, and the blood of Jesus, because we are walking in the light, cleanses us from sin. God is so good. Such simple statements, John blows me away. It is as though, this is all expected, all known and revealed. It blows me away. Such a life convicts me to look at my own. Am I real? No, I'm the farthest thing from it. My heart cries out. God, you are good. How can I live any differently from what You would have me to live. I can't. Create in me, God, a boldness that will not back down with the grace of your love. God, You are good.
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JORDAN! this was awesome. you did a really good job of switching styles and making it fun and personal with a "storyteller" feel to it.. haha i definitely laughed out loud at the story of the preacher.
i like how you ended it also. instead of giving a conclusion, you left everything open- like how we can't live up to God's standards on our own and then closed with a prayer.
well done, i give you an A+
Hi Jordan, I'm Stephanie from Singapore. Interestingly, I chanced across your blog from Dean J's blog @ UVA admissions... and I must say that you write beautifully. Amen- God is light, and He is good.
Oh and I find it quite cool that people all over the world (in this instance, halfway across the globe from me to you) can be connected in spirit by one common thing- God. (: Have a blessed day!