Finding oneself alone, in the dark, with no idea as to your location, though, must be terrifying. A couple times during chemotherapy, I became confused while driving alone. It’s called “Chemobrain.” For a few minutes, that was frightening. 

Many people travel through life in the dark. They are alone. They have no idea where they are at, not really. They are confused about their destination. They may not admit it, even to themselves, but they are terrified. They are lost. 

Those who truly surrender to God and follow daily in His footsteps do not live in darkness. They live free, in the light and love of the Loving Heavenly Father. They know their destination; they see it clearly. They know where they’ve been. They are never alone. Never confused. Never terrified. They are in the Light. 

Fear Not, the Lord is our Light…

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On a school trip halfway across the state for a track meet, I reached over the back seat of the school bus to grab something from the back only to discover that the principal’s kid and his girlfriend were behind the seat, half undressed, making out. 

They saw me. I took off, probably as embarrassed as they were. I wouldn’t have said a word, but they didn’t know that. The kid I startled and three of his buddies chased me down and gave me a pounding, warning me that I would get worse if I told what I saw. They gave me a busted lip, a black eye, and broke the nose piece of my glasses. 

Though I haven’t thought of that incident for a long time, I thought about it a lot in my teen years. In my imagination, I fought those bullies a thousand times, and each time I was brave and strong and skilled in marshal arts or boxing. Of course, it was to never happen like that outside my mind. Life is often much different than the movies. 

I am not saying that those boys, now men close to retirement age, deserve to face judgment for their bullying; there is a selfish part of me that thinks their deeds should be judged, but that is between them and God. There are, however, a great many people around the world, a few of which contact me me regularly asking for prayer, who face far greater persecution. They are not persecuted because they are skinny little wimps like I was. They are persecuted for being Christians. 

It is a comfort to know that those hidden things, atrocities done in the darkness of sin, persecutions hidden from the world… vile acts ignored by others… those things that mankind do because they love darkness more than light…

Those things – all things not covered by the bliss of the Lamb – shall be exposed in the light of God’s truth and judged by Jesus Christ.

So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 

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Now, it is early. The sky turns yellow, orange and red, hinting at a rising sun. It will soon be day. Jesus returns to the Temple and sits down to teach. He chooses the Temple not because it is a holy place. It has not been sacred for generations. No, He chooses to teach at the Temple because it is a place of concourse. Indeed, Jews from all over the Roman Empire gather there. Gentiles, too. Many of them have tender hearts and open minds. Some eagerly await the Messiah. A few are ready to take up arms and follow Him in rebellion against Caesar. Many are angry. As the sun smiles over the horizon, Jesus sighs at how little they comprehend. 

I would gather you together as a hen gathers her chicks. He sighs again and begins to teach. It takes no time at all to gather a crowd. The people are eager to hear Him just once more before they leave Jerusalem. 

The Pharisees are eager, as well. Unable to think of a snare that will trap Jesus, an opportunity falls into their hands: a woman caught in the very act of adultery. They plant a snare. Shall she be stoned? Only the Roman governor may order a death sentence. Of course, the Governor has extended that authority to the Sanhedrin, a body to which Jesus does not belong. If Jesus recommends stoning – and surely He will – they can charge Him with usurping authority. If He offers her forgiveness, as He has others, they can charge Him with heresy. The Pharisees laugh and smile and pat one another’s back. 

When they ask Jesus for a verdict, they see for the briefest of moments a hint of an upturned smile. He ignores their question and kneels to the ground. With his finger, He begins writing in the dust. 

They press Him for an answer, and for the moment, ignore his writing.

The Teacher stands and gives His verdict. “Let he who is without sin, throw the first stone,” says Jesus. He again kneels, returning to His writing. 

Now the Pharisees read what He writes. One by one, the they turn pale. Slack-jawed, they turn and leave, filtering into the crowd. 

“Where are your accusers?” Jesus asks the woman. “Does no one condemn you?” 

She hesitates, looks into the faces of dozens of interested bystanders. None condemn her. Her husband is no where to be seen. The Pharisees are trying to blend into the crowd, and avoid eye contact. She looks into the eyes of Jesus and sees only compassion. “No, Lord. No one.”

“Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” 

She turns away, but before she leaves, she hears Jesus say,

“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

– John 8:12

She smiles. Something in her changeds when she considers His words. She will never be the same. Surely, she thought, this is the Promised One, the Messiah. 

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What sets you and me apart from our non-Christian friends and coworkers? Early 20th century evangelist, Billy Sunday, told the story of a young Christian who left home to work in a lumber camp. His friends warned him that if the men in the camp discovered he was a Christian that he would be in for a hard time. 

A year later, when he returned, the young Christian was asked how he got along. “Just fine, those boys never did find out I was a Christian.”

I cannot say who Christ has called to be a secret Christian, if anyone (Joseph of Arimathaea, in Mark 15:42-47, seems to have hidden his belief in Christ for fear of the Jews).  In general, though, I think if we truly follow Christ, those who know us will realize that we are different. There is no hiding the change. 

Paul tells us not to conform to the world. Do be like everyone else. The world right now has no standards, no sense of right and wrong, no morality. We should stand firm in the Truth of God’s Word, defend right, stand against wrong and demonstrate a Christian morality, even if we must stand alone. 

Don’t be a undercover Christian, let your light shine and light the way for those who live in darkness. 

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A few moments later, the guide turns on an insignificant, old fashioned penlight. At that point, one can here multiple sighs of relief, for in a world of utter darkness, the smallest of lights can point the way. 

Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. 

         – Matthew 5:16

At different points in the Gospel, Jesus says that He is the light (John 8:12), and He says that you and I are the light (Matthew 5:14-16). Both are true statements. When I look back on the state of my mind when I lived in sin, I realize now that there was no light in me. Had God not been merciful, I would have perished and spent eternity cast into utter darkness, in torment, drowning in endless fire. He showed me the Light, and – praise God – I followed that Light. 

Now that He lives in me, His light shines through me (no credit to me). My prayer is that those around me may also see the light. I pray that everyone from my family to complete strangers may see something of Jesus in me, something that will compel them to follow the Light of Jesus Christ. 

I was a fool to wander and stay

Straight is the gate and narrow’s the way

Now I have traded the wrong for the right

Praise the Lord, I Saw the Light. 

                    – Hank Williams

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