Groping about blindly in the darkness we had created, we forgot our own image. Fear emerged from the depths of the blackness and became a familiar and comfortable companion. We shaped our lives around it. It is dangerous in the dark, so fear drove us to create morals, rules, and arbitrary punishments to enforce these rules…all to keep us safe.
We had blocked out the light with the blackest of shadows created by self and could no longer remember who self truly was. We couldn’t even remember our maker. The one who is light. The One in who’s image we were created. Our darkened eyes reckoned light as an enemy. After all, when you exist in the darkness, light is painful, light exposes truth and contradicts lies we believe. Lies which have become part of our identity. Light threatens to rip those precious lies from our tenacious grip and we feel fear, not knowing what we will be left with after the lies are gone.
In the darkness, you cannot see clearly. There were so many obstacles to trip over, so many pits to fall into, so many jagged things to snag and cut us. Despite our rules and moral code which we created, we constantly fell, injuring ourselves. We were withering away from our hurt in the darkness. We couldn’t go on much longer.
The light shone through the darkness and saw us dying.
A kaleidoscope of compassion illuminated the shadows as the Word which created us became one of us.
To bring us a message of truth
To show us who we are
To restore our dignity
To show us who the light is
To show us that the light had never left us.
After all, can darkness have meaning without the presence of light?
The Word was called “Emmanuel”. God with us.
The Word had entered our darkness in smallness and weakness. Vulnerable and helpless. Dependant upon us who were dirty, blind, wounded and controlled by lies and fear. As the light shone in our midst, it hurt our eyes. All we could see at first was how dirty we were and how tattered were our clothes. Our grievous injuries were grotesque to behold. We felt ashamed. As He lived among us, His clothing too became tattered and he became covered in our filth and yet, in Him there was no hint of a shadow. The light simply shone brighter and brighter.
As the light shone for all to see. Many allowed their eyes to adjust to the light, enjoying the gift of sight for the first time. No longer stumbling and falling, they began to heal and were overjoyed as they experienced true life for the first time. They looked into the face of the Word and understood their true selves as they now knew their maker face to face. They too began to shine.
Just like the Word.
But it threatened the very system we had made. With perfect light to illuminate our way, there was no longer any need for our moral system, our rules and punishments. The keepers of the rules were powerful and respected and now this would be taken away from them. They sought to snuff the light out.
Taking the very one who is light, they took all of the filth in the world and heaped it upon Him, torturing and smothering Him to death. We were all culpable as none of us even tried to stop this heinous crime. For a brief moment the world was plunged into the darkest night it had ever known. They thought that their darkness could exist without the presence of light, that it could become a god unto itself that they could worship. A god that would serve them.
But darkness cannot exist without light.
Light however has no need of darkness.
The light consumed the darkness and exploded into the world with such intensity that all darkness vanished.
The Word who is the light gave us a clear message that no matter how hard we try to create shadow, the light will always be there surrounding us, giving us life.
The worst we can do, which many still do, is to shut our eyes to the reality of the light of life which surrounds us and penetrates our very being.
There are many of us now experiencing freedom and healing by walking in the light. There are still those however who choose to walk about with eyes closed, bumping into things, falling and getting hurt.
Are your eyes still closed? Will you open your eyes this Christmas and enjoy the gift of light and life that is already yours?