Darkness and Light, Despair and Hope

This Christmas my thoughts have turned constantly to the theme of light. Regarded as mysterious and even mystical over past centuries even science has found it to be somewhat odd. We are told that it is an electromagnetic radiation of a dual nature. It behaves like a wave propagated like ripples in a pond or as a stream of particles (photons). Both can be demonstrated to be true. The universe's sources of light are the great incandescent stars of the galaxy and the earth's major source is the sun. But I'm not so much interested in its physical properties as its importance to us as the medium by which we see. I often treat my eyesight as a given with little thought to the privilege of being able to see and appreciate the wonders and beauty of the world around me. Without light there would be no sight as we know it - just darkness which is not the opposite of light but the absence of light.

And what is true in the physical realm is also true in the spiritual realm. All of us are gifted with a sense of the spiritual and we see and understand spiritual truth by the light inherent within us. Most religions have some notion of increasing enlightenment usually by many years of study and meditation.

Christianity is no different in one respect only and that is that it emphasises the need for enlightenment. It differs from every other religion in its identification of the source of spiritual light and the the way of communication of enlightenment. In the prologue to his gospel John tells us that the incarnation, the coming of Jesus into His creation is the coming of  "the true light which gives light to every man" into this world. Long before his coming the Psalmist sang, "For with you is the fountain of life. In your light we see light." and "The entrance of Your word brings light". John echoes this when he tells us "In Him (the Word, Jesus) was life and the life was he light of men."

Christmas is all about the coming of light into this dark world. The prophets foretold it in those terms. They saw a world in darkness. "For behold darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the people." But it is against this dark background that the prophet continues "But the Lord shall arise upon you and His glory shall be seen upon you and the Gentiles shall come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising." In view of this Isaiah can exhort us to "Arise, shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you."

Tragically John has to tell us that the vast majority of his contemporaries rejected Jesus. "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend (overcome) it." He also tells us why so many rejected Him "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world but men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil." In his prologue John puts it like this "He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not know him. He came unto his own but his own did not receive him." If this were the end of the matter then it would be an unmitigated tragedy. Thankfully the next word is "But" - one of the most wonderful conjunctions in the English language and of the scriptures, for here as in so many other places it turns despair into hope. "But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

The latter clauses highlight the other great difference between Christianity and other religions. Not only is the source of light unique but the method or means of communication of enlightenment unique. St. Paul, in a magnificent passage in 2 Corinthians speaks of the blindness which make us strangers to the light and tells us in 4:6 "For it is the God, who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." Christians are often mocked as those who have "seen the light". That is true for they have seen the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Not only so but now they have also been "called out of darkness into his marvellous light". In the light of His glory and grace we see truth - we are enlightened and we worship. For ultimately that is what truth brings us to this Christmas - to worship a God of love and grace who was willing to enter his creation to bring light and hope and peace and the prospect of glory into this benighted world. Willing to come knowing that he would be rejected and despised and ultimately put to death so that we might be redeemed. But it is through His death and resurrection - yet another festival of light against a dark background - that we find salvation and redemption and freedom and hope.

The angel told the shepherds amidst a burst of glory and light "For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour who is Christ the Lord."  Emmanuel - God with us, the hope and the Light of the world.