Let there be light

“For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” [John 3:20-21].

Never before have I been so desperate for light, as I have been for the past few nights. Recently, we saw the silhouette of a small figure lurking outside our front porch late one night. He or she tried to peep through the window, and then took cover behind the door. I got up and shouted loudly to scare the person away. Expectedly, we barely slept the next few nights as we kept looking out for intruders.

Later, we found out from the landlady that such incidents are fairly common here in East Timor. She said that it happens to her every now and then, and that it will happen to us because the locals are curious to see how the foreigners live, and what we have in our homes. This revelation made me more concerned about the security of our home. Today, we went out to buy new bulbs and fluorescent lamps for the front porch and exterior of the house.

The idea is that light on the outside might deter peeping toms or other undesirable characters from coming near. They know that they can be seen by the occupants of the house, and also by the neighbours. In contrast, when a house is shrouded in darkness, troublemakers will feel at liberty to do what they please, since no one can see them.

The same principle is at work in the spiritual world. Jesus made that clear in the Scripture above. Truly, those who practice evil hide in the darkness. Tonight I am deeply struck by this observation: Darkness is not neutral – it is the breeding ground for sin, corruption, lawlessness, perversion, and all things that lead to death. It is the playground for the devil, and for his legion of demons to wreck havoc and unleash death and destruction in increasing intensity, because he cannot be seen, or stopped, so long as the darkness remains.

I also wonder – is there darkness in my life? If there is, am I not actually in enemy territory, courting death?

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” [1 John 1:5-7].

Tonight, I find myself very hungry for Jesus, the Light of the World. He alone can drive away the darkness that shrouds this fallen world, and our deceitful hearts. I also find myself greatly thankful that God has provided a way out of the darkness, through genuine repentance, and by coming to the cross.

May we forsake darkness and walk in the light. And may this light that is in us shine ever so brightly, especially in places where it is most needed.

August 3, 2007

Friday