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| Detail of the third window of the north wall with stained glass depicting Jesus: I am the light of the world (John 8:12). (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1
New International Version (NIV)
At the beginning of the Bible in the recounting of the story of Creation, God's first pronouncement is "Let there be light". Light was obviously important to be in the first order of things created. A distinction was made between light and darkness--the light was declared to be good.
As with so many concepts, light is presented in very literal terms throughout the Bible. Daylight was the time when nearly all work was accomplished. The darkness of night was often considered to be a time of fearfulness and for sinful deeds. The light is what helps us to see and to been seen.
With all this taken into consideration it's easy to understand how light is also often used in metaphorical and spiritual terms. Light is often compared to love, goodness, truth, justice, and other attributes that open the eyes of the body, mind, and soul.
Those who love God also love the Light. The Light illuminates the path the lies ahead of us in life and clarifies that which is behind us. Without Light we are left to grope blindly in the dark.
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12
New International Version (NIV)
Dear Arlee, I have come across so many Christian based posts during this years #atozchallenge, clearly I have to meditate deeper on the whole subject... Light is a good metaphor for spirituality, I just don't have a definitive source - other than I know we are all connected.
ReplyDeleteWhen I started back reading Genesis again this past year, I was struck that light was the very first thing created. I wrote my thoughts about it here.
ReplyDeletehttp://benchsnotebook.blogspot.com/2014/02/light.html
I am glad Jesus is the light of the world.
betty