I love walking into a big box store filled with flat screen televisions. Huge displays reveal images of coral reefs and exotic fish, the colors mesmerizing. They call out my name, urging me to go bigger and better. But every now and then one of the TVs is turned off, and I immediately notice the darkness. The lack of light stands in contrast.

The apostle John recorded Jesus speaking about darkness and light. Preaching to a crowd of both skeptics and believers, Jesus said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

Beyond televisions, my world of screens also includes computer monitors, smart phones, vehicle displays, and even a home thermostat. Helpful for work, screens also flash lights of consumption and the bling of entertainment. There seems to be no escape, but that doesn’t matter because I’m not running away. Instead, I rotate among my screens like a pig in slop.

However, none of these enchantments carry light to my soul. Like the moon versus the sun, they look pretty but never bring warmth or produce life.

Only Jesus possesses the illumination I need—light that’s eternal, hopeful, and brilliant. May the Lord move us beyond the flash of the paparazzi to the constant flow of light for our soul.

John 8 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Erik Mclean