‘I am the light’

By Klaus Döring

We can’t see our future, direction, or destination, but Jesus can. Like the lighthouse guided the ship, Jesus directs us toward God’s light. The light of Christ guides us through the darkness of sin, life, and struggle both spiritually and literally.

The validity of Jesus’ testimony has been explained in John 8:12-30: “I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

To be the light means in times of darkness you offer hope, encouragement, kindness and compassion. In times where others are struggling you offer a way to help them to regain their glow and to shine. To see the good and the beautiful – it is in this that truth is re-established.

Light is the symbol of joy and of life-giving power, as darkness is of death and destruction. Therefore, in religion, light is often associated with immortality and a higher power.

As I look around, I find many of our so-called leaders, who demand us to follow them, and I hope we open our eyes and minds before we blindly follow them blind.

“I am the light of the world!” Admittedly, this sounds for many people a reconditioned exuberance while trembling to what might happen if they are not able to pay the next electric bill.

I am also pretty sure that this year Christmas lights are not glowing as the previous years: I am not so much talking about the illuminated advertisements all over the city. I am referring to the private lightings that usually brighten our homes during the Yuletide season. It’s the deep sadness and depression feelings of the people around us. Maybe this Christmas celebration is not a celebration anymore in times of a new abnormality.
If we manage to overcome the “Follow-me-I’m-the light”-phonies, and after we manage to find solutions in paying our electric bills, we then sit still in our houses and plan to light a candle for our prayers.

The other side of the season should make us remember that we should never hesitate to show our good hearts even amid a crisis by rendering services to others with passion and enthusiasm. There is nothing really stronger than from the heart of a volunteer – as several UP interns voiced out many years ago.

I am the light of the world. Let’s try putting this concept into our minds, hearts and souls. I am pretty sure we’ll not walk in darkness especially during this enlightening season and the dramatic cuts in our daily life because of this pandemic.

Across cultures, light is an ancient symbol of understanding and intellectual thought: it is the opposite of ignorance, or darkness. Almost universally, the dark is considered to be frightening and sinister, associated with things we cannot understand. Light is said to conquer darkness and to bring order out of chaos.

“Made His light shine in our hearts.” (2 Co 4:6).

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