Saturday, July 21, 2018

The Light of Hope

John 8:12
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.”

Tim and I arrived at Marblehead, on Lake Erie, just in time to see the sunset and watch (my favorite ever) lighthouse signal a green light over the water. As I watched the waves lap, I tried to imagine navigating the lake in a seventeenth century schooner. Masts flapping in the wind, bobbing up and down in rhythm with the water sounds appealing, but no electricity and little privacy left me with no desire to sail the seas on an ancient vessel. But people did, many folks sailed the Great Lakes. When they neared land at night or in a storm they depended on the lighthouse to keep them from crashing into the shore. The glow of the Fresnel lens not only provided light, but safety, and comfort.

When Jesus proclaimed "I am the light of the world," the Pharisees questioned his integrity. They didn't understand that he'd come to bring grace and forgiveness to a troubled world. They didn't believe he was the hope God promised.

But I do. Jesus assures us whoever follows him will not walk in darkness. As I trust him, my path is illuminated by the hope Jesus offers. Like the lighthouse, he sheds light and gives warning even in the darkest night or the most tumultuous storm. He sheds the light that provides safety and peace. Yet unlike the lighthouse, Jesus hope doesn't sit on a majestic pinnacle. His light doesn't wait at the end of a tunnel. Instead, his radiance wraps itself around his followers. His light reflects on the heart as a constant companion, a steady ray of hope.
Jesus' light is with us—All.The.Time. Through loss, illness, frustration, indecision, depression, anxiety, stress. He never leaves. His light gives guidance and comfort. Open your heart to his light of hope.  

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