"Everyone who does evil things hates the light. They will not come into the light. They are afraid that what they do will be seen. But anyone who lives by the truth comes into the light. He does this so that it will be easy to see that what he has done is with God's help."
John 3:20-21
Have you ever seen the sunrise over the mountains or over the ocean on the East Coast?
One minute you are standing in complete darkness - only a few stars filling the sky - and then there is this burning red orange light rising on the horizon. The light is so small at first you think you could almost hold it in your hand, but then the color starts to grow and spread. The tiny ball of light changes every part of the sky and the earth surrounding it until the sky is a vast array of colors from soft pastels to deep bold hues and the earth below is an ombre of shades and tones reflecting the beauty rising in the East. And then a few minutes later the sun is on its ascent and within an hour, light touches everything the eye can see.
Or have you seen the sunset on the West Coast?
As the sun descends the colors are as beautiful as the sunrise. Rich tones of color wash the ocean and the beach for miles, but in what seems like mere seconds, the light is snuffed out and you are surrounded by utter darkness with only a few stars to light your way.
Before Jesus came to Earth, it was as if the world was living in a perpetual sunset. People would experience flashes of light but often turn toward the darkness, somewhat afraid of what the light might reveal.
Once Jesus arrived, he brought the light of God with him and with that light he was like the sunrise: spreading his light until nothing was free to hide.
We have a choice - we are free-willed beings after all. We can choose to live in the sunrise - allowing Jesus to light up our worlds and spread his light on everything we do.
Or we can live in the sunset - only enjoying the briefest moments of light before we turn our backs on the Son and live in the darkness of this world.
If we choose the sunrise, we choose a life filled with color - and although there will be pain - the joy of the light will help to heal the wounds of this world.
If we choose to live in the sunset, we choose a life of denial and darkness - and although there will be some spurts of color our blindness due to the dark world we have chosen will not allow us to see it.
Both a sunrise and a sunset give us beauty which is not easily captured in a picture or a painting, but the gift of the sunrise is a day filled with light - where as the gift of the sunset is a night filled with darkness.
You can only live in one place - and the choice is all yours.
Sunrise or Sunset?
Scripture
Quote of the Day
People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.
~Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
Question of the Day
How can you spread light in your world?
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