“Bringing Light to the Darkness”
Sr. Susan Nicole Reuber, O.S.B.
Beech Grove, Indiana
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God. (John 3:14-21)
It always amazes me how much light a small candle can give in a completely dark room. We see the comparison of light versus darkness throughout the Scriptures. According to Google, darkness is mentioned 162 times in the Bible, while light is referred to over 200 times. Of course, light is mentioned more often because light overcomes darkness. Light versus darkness is definitely a consistent metaphor used throughout Scripture.
Light is an ancient symbol of understanding and intellectual thought. We bring things into the light to receive a better understanding of it. Darkness is ignorance; darkness is considered frightening and sinister, and associated with things we cannot understand. Light conquers the darkness and brings order out of chaos.
In the Gospel of John, John reminds us light came into the world through Jesus. The world is saved through him. But people preferred the darkness because their works were evil. Isn’t that true about ourselves? We don’t want our sins to be in the light for everyone to see. It is human to keep them in the dark so others cannot see them; even sometimes they remain the dark so we might ignore them ourselves. But Jesus brings hope and truth into the darkness as the light. “But whoever lives in the truth comes to the light so that their works may be clearly seen as done in God.”
Living in the light means lifting your eyes to the cross and believing. Living in the truth that we need to accept Jesus on His cross and to bear our own cross. We can’t believe in the cross and remain in the darkness, because the light leads to the Resurrection and towards our own salvation. Jesus died on the cross to bring the truth which is the light.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr also reminded us we need light. He says, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” God is light; God is love. Can we be that light and love the world so desperately needs? A tiny light that brings truth into the darkness. “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!”
