What keeps us from Him?

It’s the question crying out from the core of my soul as I watch so very many lost and weary and broken people.

Why? Why won’t they reach out? Why do they fear His goodness and grace and beauty?

Why fear the wholeness that comes from Him?

Why love the darkness that kills?

Why fear the light?

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. John 3:19-21

“Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.”

When you read that you get the image of dark, evil people who are burned by the sun, like vampires. Hateful, cruel people who love their evil deeds. But is that really what is going on? So many hurt and lost and wounded people out there fear the light, and they do not fit such a description.

So why? Why fear the light?

“for fear that their deeds will be exposed.”

To whom? It’s a thought that strikes me rather strongly now, is it that we fear our deeds being exposed to “man?” Or to ourselves?

The Mirror of His grace and light can be a frightening reality. We don’t want to look at the ugly things we have done, the ugly things we have thought. Our whole society is obsessed with redefining “right” so that we never have to face the painful thought that we have done wrong.

It is obsessed not because of its deprivation, but because it cannot stand to see its deprivation.

One of the things a parent must teach a child is to face the consequences of their own actions. It’s maybe one of the most important lessons for them to learn. In teaching them this the parent doesn’t seek to shame them, to humiliate or to expose them to ridicule, but to help them learn to face the mirror of themselves and their actions even when those actions are not admirable. To teach them to face the reality of the wrong they have done, the hurt they have caused, and to rectify the action to the best of their ability.

To apologize.

To make it right if they can.

To learn not to act in such a way again.

To repent.

It’s a difficult and painful lesson for a child, one most would rather not face if they had the choice.

In so many ways we are all still that frightened child, afraid to admit to our mistakes.

This has been true even from the very beginning.

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” Genesis 3:8-10

Even in the garden, when presented with God’s exposing light man hid.

It’s not that the light seeks to be frightening and painful, but by its very nature exposing the dead and dying places of our lives is painful. It’s like cutting away the dead skin from a burn victim, I can’t even imagine the pain from such injuries, the injury itself causes so much pain, but so also does the recovery. It must seem for some like a constant torment, but if the dead skin is not removed the infection will spread and kill.

Still, it must seem like it would be easier to hide from the reality of it all, escape into unconsciousness of the death that is at work in your body and never ever look at it again.

And that is the place so many in this world find themselves in. Their sin causes them pain, but looking at their sin feels to them even more painful. And so they go on, afraid of the light, loving the darkness.

How often do we see those that are lost and hurting, living lives of pain and torment, grasping for any physical pleasure, and we know such pleasures will only hurt them more in the end. But they don’t see it, they don’t even seem to know there is a better way of living. They are lost in the darkness, and they are afraid to even look at the light long enough to know it’s there.

Does your heart grieve for them?

Because you know the secret: The light brings life.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. John 1:1&4

Is it painful? Yes.

Is it difficult? Yes.

Is it worth it? Oh Yes!

The light pierces, it burns. But it heals, it brings joy, it brings grace and new hope and peace and love that will never ever fail you.

I find myself inept in trying to show this light to those who need it most. And I learn eventually that I can only reflect this light as best I can and love and pray. Because in the end it is an individual choice, to step into the light or to stay in the darkness. No matter how much I wish I could drag these people into the light so that they can experience this wholeness and joy, I can’t.

But I can testify to the light I see. With every breath I can testify. Like John the Baptist who testified about it till the day he died. Like so many others before me who have testified.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. John 1:6-8

So let us be a witness to His light, and testify to our final breath, and show with our very lives that those who are lost in darkness need not fear.

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

~Joy Aletheia Stevens

Photo Credit: Fanad Lighthouse Waves by Greg Clarke (CC BY 2.0) 

Photo Credit: show me some light. By Md saad andalib (CC BY 2.0)  

Photo Credit: Christian Cross 11 by Waiting For The Word (CC BY 2.0)