Seeking the Light

September 16, 2021 Georgia Tanner

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5

It is the morning after night number two in the desert. The sun shines hot against my face and my shoulder and the side of my leg. The dog snaps at flies that buzz her. The prairie grasses balance glowing feather tops shimmering in the smallest breeze. Purple mountains rim the horizon line. The blue of the sky is the deepest, most intense color I have ever seen in the vast heavens over my head. It is morning.

It is the night that makes me nervous. I want to sit under the darkening canopy as the moon becomes visible in the southern sky and the first stars appear. It will be a while before the sky is blue-black enough to play backdrop for the starry host. I have seen the thousands of lights spread across the heavens. But by then the cold has descended and I don't tarry – seeking instead the warmth of my blanket.

My fear isn’t as much of the darkness of the night as it is the things unseen hiding within it. I have seen the poisonous nocturnal bark scorpions contained in glass. (What made us think it was a good idea to go to the bug museum in Sante Fe?) We watched a patterned snake move silently from the bare dirt of the road back into the cover of the grasses by our campsite. (Judging by the head and tail, non-venomous.) I watched the nickel-size black spider run its path along the window edge inside the camper. (Thankfully I saw it with the light from our solar flashlight and Jeff killed it!) These are the creatures that make my sleep fitful. These are the things that take me back inside the relative safety of our vintage camper. These are the things that explain to me the joy of the morning light and the fear of the darkness.

Light and dark. God uses these very understandable images to explain who He is.

In the beginning, when He spoke the world into being, His first command was, “Let there be light.” And it was so. And it was good. He spoke to Moses through the light of a burning bush. He led the Israelites to their promised land by the light of a burning column of fire. When He sent His Son to wear the flesh and blood clothes of humans the only way to describe him was, “…light was coming into the world.” This God/Man stood by the light of the menorah in the Temple during the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles* and he defined himself:

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Light. Light is the wonder that allows us to see the beauty of this world. It shines into the darkness. It paints the colors of creation in the greens of the grasses and leaves in the desert basin, the reds of the rocks and mountains in Arizona, the golden yellows of the butter daisy and prairie sunflowers which have carpeted our path from Oklahoma to Texas to Utah to the Kaibab Plateau. Light. Glorious, beautiful light.

Light allows us to see the goodness of others, the smallest actions of kindness. A smile from a stranger. A nod of agreement from a friend. We are taught that when God, who is light, enters us, we are filled with His Spirit, His light. Jesus told us to let our light shine before others.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:15-16

Listen to that! You are the light of the world. Have you ever thought of yourself that way? Are you filled with God’s glorious light? Does your light shine brightly so that goodness flows from you - giving glory to your Father in Heaven? I must remind myself that I am God’s vessel of light. This humbles me. It should.

A little addendum to this story of light and darkness which I started writing 24 hours ago. My grand adventure of spending three nights in a vintage camper in the desert basin with no running water and no electricity (and no internet and little phone service) ended sooner than planned. I decided I was not fond of ‘living off the grid’. It was ‘not my favorite’, as my grandson Barrett would say. On the third evening, as the sun started its descent, I dreaded another coming night of desolation and darkness.

I contacted the host of our next destination; “Could we arrive there a day early?” With her affirmation, Jeff hastily packed the car and I swept out the trailer and we drove the hairpin turns down through the red rocks and into Sedona as the sun set behind us. Putting the key into a new door, I reached inside and found the switch that flooded the house with light.

I wandered through our new temporary house thanking God over and over again for His creation of light. Light that shines into the darkness.

And I remembered two nights earlier – that first night in the desert wilderness – a moth, the size of the palm of my hand, cathedral window patterned in black and gray, had darted in through the open trailer door from the darkness to find the light of our lantern. That moth is a small and momentary reminder; flee the darkness, seek the flame of light. Seek it. Be filled with it, so that others can see the glory of God.

You are the light in a dark world.

After writing this, I happened upon a chapel (in an outdoor shopping area in the very new age world of Sedona) and looked at the scripture below the painting: “I am the light of the world…”

These are God’s beautiful stories of light that cannot be overcome by the darkness:

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. Genesis 1:3-5

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone (or dawned). Isaiah 9:2 and Matthew 4:16

(The Lord) says: "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." Isaiah 49:6

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” John 3:19-21

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 2 Corinthians 4:6-7

Tim Hughes - Here I Am to Worship (Official Lyric Video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_KNvkk2G-Y

Light of the world

You stepped down into darkness

Open my eyes, let me see

Beauty that made

This heart adore You

Hope of a life spent with You

And here I am to worship

Here I am to bow down

Here I am to say that You're my God

You're altogether lovely

Altogether worthy

Altogether wonderful to me

King of all days

Oh so highly exalted

Glorious in Heaven above

Humbly You came

To the Earth You created

All for love's sake became poor