What is light? It’s a simple question, but it’s one with surprising implications. The Bible begins with perhaps the most famous declaration on light ever: “Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3)
If you’re like me, you think of light similar to a light bulb, not unlike how it’s portrayed in that famous quote from Genesis. First there is no light, and then there is light.
But light doesn’t really work like that. Almost always, light is in gradients. When the first tendrils of dawn climb across the horizon, bringing with it the light of the new day, it’s still pretty dark. Conversely, we think of the middle of the night as being dark, but a moonlit evening can be bright enough to read by, and even a moonless night has some illumination from stars, planets, and perhaps the occasional firefly.
In our own houses, light situations are often trickier to discern. Some rooms in my house have enough light to read by, but it’s uncomfortably dim to do so for very long. Another room has a lamp with many light bulbs. When all the lights are on, it’s quite bright; and yet, left neglected, the bulbs will burn out one by one. The absence of one bulb may be barely noticeable. If half the bulbs went out, it would be annoying but there would still be enough to see (albeit imperfectly). Still other parts of my house never seem to have enough light; bringing them to a level of illumination I find acceptable would take a fair bit of time and effort . . . which I just haven’t managed to find so far.
All of these thoughts came to mind as I reflected on today’s Gospel selection from John. There, Jesus says, “I came into the world as light, so that anyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.” Again, for years I believed that to be akin to a light bulb. I didn’t believe in Jesus and was in the dark; now I believe in Jesus and BOOM! I’m no longer in the dark . . . Problem solved!
Yet, I wonder if God chose light as the metaphor there more carefully than I realized. Living a life in true darkness is hard; it takes a special effort to create a dark room for photographic development, and even then a special red light can be used to see well enough to work therein. Similarly, living a life completely without God is impossible; no matter how much nonbelievers shut themselves off from the majesty and glory of His creation, on some level, even they must realize how amazing and wondrous the universe is.
Conversely, even if we have the light of Christ in our lives, that doesn’t mean we’re done. I’m sure we’ve all lived where the level of light we’re trying to read, sew, craft, play games, or spend time with each other has been imperfect, but we haven’t bothered to do what’s necessary to make it better. (“How can you read in the dark?!” is a common refrain in our household.) Similarly, many people have accepted the light of Christ; they do believe, and they do not live in complete darkness. Even so, like trying to read by moonlight or cook in a kitchen lit by windows, this life is imperfect. They could use more light; that is, they could do more to bring the words and deeds of Jesus to life in their hearts and minds.
Perhaps there are even parts of our personal faiths that are like the dimly lit portions of my house, where I know it’s darker than I would like, but I will need to take time and effort to bring those areas to a level of light I’m happy with. Perhaps there are elements of your beliefs or actions that you need to change significantly to bring up to a level of fealty to Jesus that he deserves, to turn the dimly realized light of Christ in those portions into burning beacons of practiced piety.
The very fact that you’re reading this indicates that – at some level – the light of Christ dwells within you. How brightly it burns depends on you. If it’s so dim you can barely see, do what you can to strengthen your faith. The Sacrament of Reconciliation – followed by the Eucharist – can work miracles at bolstering a flickering flame; if you have more serious concerns or troubles, perhaps a meeting with a priest, a trusted spiritual friend, or a faith-friendly councilor can help.
If your light is strong but not yet where you wish it to be, reflect upon which areas you need to improve, and do what you can to illuminate the unsatisfactory areas of your spiritual homestead. These imperfections and areas for improvement can form the basis for prayerful reflection and – as needed – physical action.
And if your light is strong, and you can’t see any obvious areas you need Christ to illuminate more fervently, perhaps that’s a sign that you’re supposed to take your light into the world and help others. Exposure to those in need – or those with differing needs, outlooks, and life experiences – can sometimes shine a mirror on personal deficiencies to which we were previously oblivious.
As John 8:12 – today’s Alleluia proclamation – says, “I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.” From Genesis to today, the light of God has always been active; it has never been a one-time “cross that off my list” item, but a fundamental underpinning that forms the basis for many other activities and beliefs. Taking stock of the state of the light in our lives can allow Jesus to further illuminate what we cannot see as clearly as we should, so that we “might not remain in darkness.”
Today’s Readings for Mass: Acts 12:24-13:5A; Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6 and 8; Jn 12:44-50
