On them has Light shone

Light is what drives me.

Whether beams through leafy branches, or glistenings across a city-scape, the beauty of light is something I am continually drawn to.

The apostle John and I would have been kindred spirits, I think. His books are full of the imagery of light. But he wasn’t just partial to sun beams and shadows. No, John was channeling the words of the prophets. When he says, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5), can’t you just picture Isaiah shouting from heaven, “I said that in chapter 9, verse 2! Isn’t it amazing how God’s promises come true!”:

The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
    on them has light shone.

And so, it is no surprise that light brought way to Light, as the star above Bethlehem and the brilliant angels proclaimed Christ’s birth. The Light indeed had dawned.

A couple years ago I heard this hymn, “I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light”, and its chorus has stuck with me ever since. It resonates with many passages of scripture, but is almost an exact quote of 1 John 1:5:

"God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all."