TO WALK IN LIGHT
but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
(1 John 1: 7 – NAS)
John gives us this simple setting for being in fellowship with each other – to walk in the Light.
Yet, we know how easily we hold on to our secret darkness, and how difficult it is for us to let go of our petty sins. How can we possibly walk in the Light?
John reminds us that the blood of Jesus was sacrificed on our behalf. It has swept over us and carried away the darkness of our sin. That is what allows us to walk in the Light.
The thing about being in light is that we can see all that is around us. Darkness hides things, but light reveals them.
It is a curious thing that one of the most powerful of human desires is the desire to be known by others. I don’t mean “being famous” – although that compulsion is a shadow of the real desire. We want to be known for who we really are, what we are really like. We want to be regarded fondly, with affection. We want to be understood, to have our thoughts understood and have our jokes laughed at. But this can only happen by revealing ourselves. And that cannot be done in darkness.
Yet ....
Revelation is a painful process. It requires vulnerability. And we tend to equate vulnerability with weakness. They are not the same thing, of course. But the weak frequently are vulnerable.
To be vulnerable means being open to the possibility of being wounded. It does not mean that we will be wounded, though.
When we walk in the Light, those around us can see us as we are. Our strengths and our vulnerabilities. If we wish to be known, if we wish to be loved, we have to allow this revelation to occur. We cannot hide parts of ourselves in darkness. If we want to be in fellowship with others, we need to be open.
If we let the protection of Jesus cover us, we can walk in the Light. We don’t have to drag our personal darkness along with us. And by walking in the Light, we attract others to us. We gain fellowship with others who are also willing to walk the same way.
The fellowship we gain is not just with each other, of course. We gain fellowship with Christ. We gain the companionship with the One who manifests the power of God. What a marvelous travelling companion!
Once, when I was a ninth grader, I wrote a short story that I titled “Dark Journey” (at least, I think that was the title I gave it). In it, my character maneuvers himself through a number of obstacles in darkness. I used indirect description and never specified what any of the obstacles were, just his physical sensations and movements. Until he reached his goal, that is. He opens a door, and “the little light went on as it always did.” There’s a note there from his parents that if he has another midnight snack, he’ll lose his allowance. So the boy goes back upstairs to bed.
It was written for a class assignment, and I was rather pleased with what I’d done. But even now, when I look back at this piece, I am struck by how much suspense can come from simply not knowing or not seeing what is around us. The moment I finally defined the setting, letting the light shine on it, it lost all its power to alarm the reader.
When it comes to navigating our physical surroundings, we definitely prefer to have light about us. Why then do we continue to “walk in darkness” when it comes to our emotional, intellectual, moral and spiritual lives? Sometimes, I think it is simply because those aspects of our being are not physical. Oh, they can have physical consequences. But they are not, by nature, physical themselves. If they were, I wonder if we would keep the darker aspects around. I don’t think they would be comfortable.
That is just one reason I am thankful for the sacrifice of Jesus. That act, and my acceptance of it on my behalf, is the one thing that makes it possible for me to stay walking in the Light. As Christ is the Light, and His presence drives away the alarming aspects of darkness. It is the Light of Christ that lets me truly see my friends and be in fellowship with them, giving them understanding and love and receiving the same from them.
but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
(1 John 1: 7 – NAS)
John gives us this simple setting for being in fellowship with each other – to walk in the Light.
Yet, we know how easily we hold on to our secret darkness, and how difficult it is for us to let go of our petty sins. How can we possibly walk in the Light?
John reminds us that the blood of Jesus was sacrificed on our behalf. It has swept over us and carried away the darkness of our sin. That is what allows us to walk in the Light.
The thing about being in light is that we can see all that is around us. Darkness hides things, but light reveals them.
It is a curious thing that one of the most powerful of human desires is the desire to be known by others. I don’t mean “being famous” – although that compulsion is a shadow of the real desire. We want to be known for who we really are, what we are really like. We want to be regarded fondly, with affection. We want to be understood, to have our thoughts understood and have our jokes laughed at. But this can only happen by revealing ourselves. And that cannot be done in darkness.
Yet ....
Revelation is a painful process. It requires vulnerability. And we tend to equate vulnerability with weakness. They are not the same thing, of course. But the weak frequently are vulnerable.
To be vulnerable means being open to the possibility of being wounded. It does not mean that we will be wounded, though.
When we walk in the Light, those around us can see us as we are. Our strengths and our vulnerabilities. If we wish to be known, if we wish to be loved, we have to allow this revelation to occur. We cannot hide parts of ourselves in darkness. If we want to be in fellowship with others, we need to be open.
If we let the protection of Jesus cover us, we can walk in the Light. We don’t have to drag our personal darkness along with us. And by walking in the Light, we attract others to us. We gain fellowship with others who are also willing to walk the same way.
The fellowship we gain is not just with each other, of course. We gain fellowship with Christ. We gain the companionship with the One who manifests the power of God. What a marvelous travelling companion!
Once, when I was a ninth grader, I wrote a short story that I titled “Dark Journey” (at least, I think that was the title I gave it). In it, my character maneuvers himself through a number of obstacles in darkness. I used indirect description and never specified what any of the obstacles were, just his physical sensations and movements. Until he reached his goal, that is. He opens a door, and “the little light went on as it always did.” There’s a note there from his parents that if he has another midnight snack, he’ll lose his allowance. So the boy goes back upstairs to bed.
It was written for a class assignment, and I was rather pleased with what I’d done. But even now, when I look back at this piece, I am struck by how much suspense can come from simply not knowing or not seeing what is around us. The moment I finally defined the setting, letting the light shine on it, it lost all its power to alarm the reader.
When it comes to navigating our physical surroundings, we definitely prefer to have light about us. Why then do we continue to “walk in darkness” when it comes to our emotional, intellectual, moral and spiritual lives? Sometimes, I think it is simply because those aspects of our being are not physical. Oh, they can have physical consequences. But they are not, by nature, physical themselves. If they were, I wonder if we would keep the darker aspects around. I don’t think they would be comfortable.
That is just one reason I am thankful for the sacrifice of Jesus. That act, and my acceptance of it on my behalf, is the one thing that makes it possible for me to stay walking in the Light. As Christ is the Light, and His presence drives away the alarming aspects of darkness. It is the Light of Christ that lets me truly see my friends and be in fellowship with them, giving them understanding and love and receiving the same from them.
Labels: 1 John 1, Fellowship, Witness To Light
posted by Sarah | 8:57 AM
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