GOD IS LIGHT

GOD IS LIGHT AND THE LIGHT SHINES IN THE DARKNESS

God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” while we continue to walk in darkness, we lie and do not act in truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light then we have fellowship with one another and the Blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:5-2:2.

            Every once in awhile I read a scripture passage that takes my breath away; I am awed by the truth of it and at the same time feel a kinship with the author that is hard to describe.  We have all had those so-called ‘aha’ moments in life when we know without doubt that something is right.  In my life, one was the moment when my boy friend and I looked at each other and said almost in unison, “We should get married.”  I don’t think our feet touched the ground for several days.  It felt right from the moment the words were spoken.  It was right for the next 45 years.

So it was this week when I read the passage from John.

                        God is light. God illuminates all.  God drives away the shadows and puts an end to fear and despair.  As if that were not enough, God came to us in the flesh to give us proof of this and to show us the way to live in that light.  What more do we need?  As a child I lived in fear of God.  It was a crime and punishment relationship and it wasn’t until Vatican II when our Pastor, Fr. Livius Paoli, taught us that the goal of  Vatican II was to lead us to see God in a new way. I felt the way a parolee must feel, liberated and facing the future with hope.  John continues…..

                        If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and    cleanse us from every wrongdoing.  

And again…

                        …If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the           righteous one. He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for     those of the whole world.

           

                        These words were written by someone whose life was completely changed by the ‘aha’ moment when he believed.  He knew in his heart that what he had come to understand was the absolute truth and he shared it with his fellow believers but I doubt he ever imagined people like us so far in the future would read them and find the truth in them.

                        So many people still fear God, imagining themselves groveling at his throne trying to justify their lives to him and begging forgiveness when the life of Christ and scripture passages like this one contradict that image.  How much time is wasted in fear and worry and guilt?  We say we love God, that we believe, and yet we ignore his words, “I will remember their sins no more.”  (IS 43:25)

                                    There is much talk about evangelizing those who don’t know Christ and how we should be bold and speak out.  But how can we if we actually don’t believe the most basic truth about God?   Where is the joy that comes from knowing that God loves us without reservation? Why should we agonize over our failings?  God doesn’t.  John wrote these words thousands of years ago and they still strengthen the heart and help us renew our commitment to Christ every day and they will continue to do so until Christ comes again.  We must walk in the light as He is in the light.

            With love and hope that the New Year is all you wish it to be.

            Carol Lemelin  OPA