You can also hear it in the archived worship service on our Facebook page.
Grace and peace from God our Father and from Christ Jesus,
our Lord.
‘I am the light of the world,’ Jesus says to his disciples,
and it was true then and it is true now. For without becoming too dramatic, the
pandemic which has brought our society to a halt shows us once again that life
can change, seemingly in an instant. The systems we have created for ourselves,
the comforts we can accumulate, and the seemingly settled courses of our lives
are fragile and transitory. If we are to look for anything permanent, anything
life-giving, we must look somewhere else.
At the same time, the pandemic and its accompanying effects
can lead us face to face with darkness. We may see the darkness become evident
when we see politicians and professional opinion givers trying to blame their
opponents and promote conspiracy theories about the outbreak of an epidemic. We
see people hoarding necessary items and perhaps trying to resell them at a
higher price.
But if we are honest with ourselves, the events of these
days and the threat of the days to come can also lead us deep into our hearts
to the darkness that dwells there. Fear, hatred, envy, despair, bravado,
self-pity, desire, and other raw emotions and impulses may co-exist with our
other more rational responses and bubble up to the surface when we least expect
it. An unplanned tirade at a family member, a seemingly irrational urge to
panic-buy, a stubborn insistence on our rights, or a sidelong glance at someone
of another race or country of origin taking what we view to be ‘ours’ may
disturb our illusions of being immune, if you will, from the madness infecting
the world.
Into this world, into our hearts, the light of the world
comes. He comes with the gift of sight, the sight of the soul. Into this world
he comes and lays bare the irrationality of the world and the darkness which
still dwells in our hearts. Into a world of spiritual and moral chaos, where
everything is without form and void, he brings a light that does not dazzle, that
brings order to our spiritual lives, into the state of being able to
distinguish what is and what is not. In his light we can judge between right
and wrong, truth and falsehood, need and want.
We are given light to see who we are and whose we are. We
are not at our core victims of a pandemic; we don’t have to be simply opinion
givers and fearmongers and self-pitiers. We are God’s, and God is ours. For
those who receive the light of Christ see themselves in his light and in his
light only. We are sinners, yet we are forgiven; we are oppressed by the evil
one, yet while we have God’s word, we are not crushed; we will no doubt die,
yet we have the promise of new and eternal life.
There will be more darkness in the days ahead. Let us live
in the light of God’s love in Christ. Let us live confidently. Let us live not
blaming others, not nursing our anger, not wallowing in self-pity, but let us
live with forgiveness and love and faith in the future. When the darkness of
fear bubbles forth from the depths of our hearts, let us remember words we hear
in 1 John: ‘There is no fear in love, for perfect love casts out fear.’ Let us
live so that we may reflect that light to others. For in the letter to the
Ephesians we find these words: ‘Once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you
are light. Live as children of light – for the fruit of the light is found in
all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the
Lord.’
Many of us must remain at home except for rare trips outside
for essentials. Many of us who have direct responsibility for others must
continue to work in a world of an unseen enemy. Whatever our calling in this
time, this time is God’s. We dare not simply use it for ourselves. We must use
our time, our creativity, and whatever we have been given in order that we may
be reflections of Christ, those who reflect his light to others. The
opportunities to do so will be given to us in multiple and perhaps unexpected
ways in the days to come.
Into this world, the light has shined. May you rejoice in it
and let us bear it forward into the darkness, until we emerge into the new
world God has prepared for us.
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your
hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
