Celebrating the light that overcomes darkness:Janina Gomes:TOI:The Speaking Tree

Celebrating the Light that Overcomes Darkness

By: Janina Gomes
Dec 20, 2021, 10:19 IST

In the account of creation, in the Book of Genesis, in the Old Testament of the Bible, we read that God created light and dispelled the darkness and the chaos there was on earth. Then he created the lights in the sky, the sun, the moon and the stars. Light is a metaphor for goodness and righteousness. Darkness signifies evil and sin.

Light represents life. Without light everything would die on this earth. Jesus is the light of the world. His birth, which is now celebrated as Christmas every year, is not the whole story. Our celebration can only be complete when we embrace what the baby went on to do, what he did in his life, why he did it and what it means to us. Jesus’ birth was in humble circumstances, in a manger. In his early boyhood, he was a refugee. He had a three-year public ministry when he performed great miracles, healed many and nurtured his disciples. This culminated in his self sacrifice, when he moved from adulation by the crowds, to betrayal, torture and execution, a path he willingly accepted. Three days after his death and burial, he rose again. This was a triumph of light over darkness and death that holds out for us the promise of eternal life.

This is the message we also hear in the Gospel of John in the New Testament which says, “God is light, in him there is no darkness at all”. Similarly, in the Gospel of Matthew, there is again a reference to the light, when describing the transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Tabor, before three of his disciples: “There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun and his 
clothes became as white as the light”.

When the light fails in our homes, even a candle can light up the darkness and we are able to move around in the dark. A Christian journal tells us that God’s light gives us spiritual insights and understanding that enables us to see far enough to take steps forward.  Faith in Jesus, in the same way, may not help us to see miles before us, but it helps to light up our path, enough to continue forward, even if it means taking one step at a time.

 Light is also associated with truth. The light of Jesus exposes whatever exists, both good and bad. We cannot hide our transgressions. He knows and sees all. As Rev Michael Van Sloun says, the symbolism of light is a rich symbol. It can represent sacredness, blessedness, purity, innocence, goodness, perfection, glory, wonder, intelligence, enlightenment, wisdom, divinity, joy, truth and the presence of God.

God does not leave our side in every season of darkness that we might experience in our lives. We know that someday morning will come. Night never lasts forever. In the meantime, as we continue our journey on this earth we have ‘Immanuel” or ‘God who is with us’. And as an American pastor famously says that means we can return to the dark again and again, rejoicing and praising God for the light we have and the one who loves us enough to remain with us all through our lives.