At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

   - 1 John 2.8

Do Thou, Christ, deign to kindle our lamps, our Saviour most sweet to us, that they may shine continually in Thy temple, and receive perpetual light from Thee the Light perpetual, so that our darkness may be enlightened, and yet the world's darkness may be driven from us.

  - Columbanus, Sermon XII, Irish, 7th century

The darkness is passing away?

Some of us may have a hard time believing that statement, but that may be because we don’t have a large enough perspective to see the field of reality the way God does.

When the Light of Jesus Christ burst to life from that garden tomb, a power for progressive righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit was unleashed on the earth, a power nothing has ever been able to stop, nor ever will.

Even from his exile on the Island of Patmos John could see that the forces of darkness were doomed. Jesus, ruling at the Father’s right hand, is turning His glorious light on the darkness everywhere, and the darkness is in pell-mell retreat.

Undoubtedly you can see this in your own life. The coming of Christ into your soul began a work of light-bringing that has wrought many changes in your outlook, attitudes, priorities, and practices. The work is not complete, of course, nor will it ever be in this life. But if we truly know Jesus and have His Spirit dwelling in us, there will be evidence of the darkness decamping our souls and lives.

We are a microcosm of the whole world. The darkness of sin, the gloom of unbelief, and the fear of death have been steadily receding since that resurrection morning, and they will continue to fall back until the Lord Jesus comes in all His brilliant glory to cast the darkness away once and for all.

Our calling is to shine the light, both in our own souls and in the world, knowing that, as we do, we become powerful forces in the hand of the Lord as He continues the work of humbling the devil and lighting up his formerly gloomy domain.

Look at the world through God’s eyes, not the eyes of the world. Live “under the heavens” and not simply “under the sun.” Things look a whole lot different when we engage the world with (true) eyes of faith, and not just with eyes of sight.

Psalm 126.1, 2, 4, 5 (Truro: “Shout, for the Blessed Jesus Reigns!”)
When God restored our fortunes all, we were like those who sweetly dream.
Our mouths with joy and laughter filled, made Him our constant song and theme.

Restore our fortunes, Lord our King! Let grace like flowing streams prevail.
All they with tears of joy shall sing who sow while yet they week and wail.

Lord, shine with healing and commissioning brilliance on us, and send us, like Patrick, to the dying world with the message of life and hope. Adapted from Patrick, Confession