Lent 23 - Light vs Darkness

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John 3:18-21

I love verse 19 in our reading for today: "Light has come into the world, but people love darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil." What a fitting description of our world today. 

Many people claim that the world is a horrible place; that people are evil and there is no hope for redemption. 

I have a different view. There is much good and light in the world. The problem is that much of humanity chooses to love and seek darkness instead.

When the Light came into the world in the form of Jesus, we were shown how to bring light into the world by living lives of mercy, peace and justice. And yet most of humanity still chooses to love darkness by living lives of resentment, violence and selfish gain.

I am sure that we would all love to see a world with more light and goodness. I believe that in order for this reality to be realised, we need to live by the truths that Jesus taught: more love, more forgiveness, more grace, more peace, more giving, and more selfless serving of those in need.

We might feel powerless to change the general trends of darkness in the world at large, but we can bring a little bit of light into our immediate contexts that we find ourselves. 

The thing about light is that one candle can light up a dark room fairly well. But once that light starts spreading to more and more candles, that is when the room can be consumed by a bright light and the darkness begins to disappear.

How can we begin to spread more love and light to the world around us? 

Prayer: Jesus, Light of the world. You entered our dark and lonely world, bringing a joy and a peace that surpasses all understanding. May we learn to accept Your light, display it in our lives and share it with all those who we encounter. Amen.

Image Source: DDP

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