Delighting in the life-giving presence of light

Today – June 20, 2024 – marks the summer solstice, the day ushering in the most daylight of the year.

While I enjoy many aspects of winter – the warmth of a fire, a toasty cup of coffee, and even the majestic barrenness of branches – there is something so undeniably magnetic about the brightness of summer. The sun, in all its glory, shines from early in the morning until well into the night.

Light, in all its beauty, emits a Holy glow.

Over and over, I have received the sacred echo of God’s mighty force of light in the world. We are first introduced to light in the very beginning of the Bible. Genesis 1:3-4 (NIV) states, “And God said, “Let there be light,” And there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.”

From the dawn of creation, God equates light with goodness.

And, during his ministry, Jesus makes a revolutionary declaration. John 8:12 (NIV) reads, “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.”

In Jesus, we have life. We have love. We have light.

As we walk with Jesus, we walk in the absence of darkness; we traverse toward the purer path. And while this does not mean we will not face adversity on the road of life, it means we are traveling with the best of companions on the journey. And, we are called to shine.

I encourage you to discover the many verses in the Bible that point us to the visual illustration of light. There is much wisdom and encouragement to be found in these passages.

As children, many of us sang, “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.” It is my prayer for you and for me that we let our light shine before others as our testimony to the One who is the light of life – and that we receive the light on the path God has before us.