I have to admit to not being the biggest fan of Christmas as it is practiced today. So many of the traditions that have sprung up around Christmas have little or nothing to do with what it is supposed to be commemorating. When I was asked to write an article about how we can experience the light of the world, my first inclination was to write about all the things that bug me about how we celebrate Christmas. However, the more I thought about it, the more I became convinced that essay would not really answer the question I was provided. With that in mind, I want to look at what it means to experience (and be) the light of the world.
Biblically, Isaiah was the first to mention the idea of a light to the world. He first says, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwell in a land of deep darkness, on them a light has shone” (Is 9:2, ESV). In the same prophecy, he goes on to connect this great light to the birth of a child. “For to us a son is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace” (Is 9:6). This promised child was generally considered to be the salvation of God for the nation of Israel—one who would lead them into all that the Lord had made them to be. He further states that Israel would be a “light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Is 49:6).
Matthew, Luke, and John take up this theme. Matthew’s narrative makes clear that Jesus was the promised child who would lead the world out of darkness. As Jesus begins his ministry after the death of John the Baptist, Matthew cites Isaiah: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles – the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned” (Mt 4:15-16). Luke has Simeon prophesying that Jesus would be “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (Lk 2:26). John does not have much of a birth narrative, but he does say that in Jesus “was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (Jn 1:4-5), and those who received him and believed in his name were given the “right to become children of God” (Jn 1:12). (Think about that for a moment; the right to become a child of God. Simply amazing.)
Living in Light Before Those Walking in Darkness
There is a bit more to say about this, but first, it might be helpful to ask one question. What does it mean for people to be walking in darkness? If we think about it, darkness inherently means things are hidden—that people will have difficulty finding their way or even understanding where they are on their journey. More simply put, walking in darkness is a metaphor for spiritual blindness. Those who walk in darkness do not have a dynamic relationship with the creator of the universe. They do not have a good grasp of what it means to live as people created in God’s image. Nor do they understand what it means to live a life in fellowship with God. Sadly, this describes not only the Gentile world but also much of Israel at the time of Jesus’ birth.
When Jesus boldly states, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (Jn 8:12), he claims to show what it means to live as God’s representative to the watching world. He claims to be revealing God’s character to the world, to offer salvation and purpose, to be a force in the world that cannot be overcome by the darkness in which the world is living. He is the example of what it means to live as the light of the world to all of us. However, that is not the most challenging part of his statements for us. He tells his disciples in Matthew that they are the light of the world (5:14). They have the responsibility to show the world, which lives in darkness, what it means to live in the light and to have life. This means that we are supposed to be the light of the world. We have the same task his disciples did, carrying on the ministry of being light and life to the world around us.
Experiencing the Light: A Participatory Act
This brings me back to the original question: how can we experience the light of the world? First of all, this is a participatory act to my mind. We are involved in becoming part of God’s family and showing his light to the world. There are books galore on ways to do this but let me mention one. Do not hide the light of your faith under a bushel, let it shine out for the world to see “so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Mt 5:16). This, of course, implies that we are to be busy in doing good in the world around us and letting the world see the light that God is bringing to the world through us.
Many blessings to you all.