(this is a re-working of New Year 2016)
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 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
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