The Light of Christ

   I often write of the majesty of God’s creations.  The moon, the sun and the stars all speak to His glory.  The very earth we live on reflects His love for us.  All He has created is out of His unending love.  I find it amazing that He could love us so.

   This morning I was up a bit before dawn.  When I took Olivia, our miniature dachshund, out for her morning needs I was struck by the  brilliance of the moon.  It looked like a giant spotlight shining down on me.  But I was reminded that the moon has no light of its’ own.  The brilliance and beauty of the moon is just a reflection of the light of the sun.  We often forget that the moon generates no light of its’ own, especially when it appears so bright in the night sky.

   It occurred to me that we, as Christians, are in some ways very like the moon.  We have no light except the light of Christ which is reflected in us.  Just as the moon is simply a body capable of reflecting the light of the sun, so we are just a creation blessed with the ability to reflect the light of the Son of God.

   “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  (John 8: 12).  Christ chose to become man and live among us.  He brought His light and shared it with mere mortals.  He reached out to the sick, both physically and spiritually to share the brilliance of His own light.  He gave us a lamp that we can light with His love and place on a lamppost to share with others.

   In humility we seek the light of Christ.  We can create no light of our own but can share His light and let others see it in us.  Christ reaches out to us offering the greatest light of all; the light of His love, forgiveness and salvation.

   “For God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to bring to light the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of Christ.” (2 Cor. 4: 6)