November 30 - 1 John 1:1-10 - Light is Pretty Heavy

The galaxies are awe-inspiring. An AP release today stated ... "The universe may glitter with far more stars than even Carl Sagan imagined when he rhapsodized about billions upon billions. A new study suggests there are a mind-blowing 300 sextillion of them, or three times as many as scientists previously calculated. That is a 3 followed by 23 zeros."

300,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

That's a lot of zeros. That's a lot of light and mass and energy, too.

Our Sun

Today's text tells us that God IS light. I know that this is a metaphorical use of the word and John is actually referring to God's holy character, but I wonder. If the amount of light in the universe can make our jaw drop, what should the pure and unfathomable light of God's character cause us to do? And then to consider that John is saying that that Person of incalculable light was seen and heard and touched by him. The Light took on the mass of a man, retained and exhibited some of His miraculous energy. Einstein's E=Mc² takes on a new luster as we consider mass and energy as functions of the speed of Light. Perhaps G=E²M²c^{2 !} Maybe Jesus is God at a slower speed.

John wants people to know that Jesus did walk among men and that He was indeed the God of holiness, forgiveness, unity and joy. He is light and mass and energy -- He is Life itself. And so we embrace Him and honor His Word. 

There is no darkness at all in God, that is, there is no evil. But there is darkness in us. It manifests as sin and this is a condition that must be acknowledged. Not to do so is to call God a liar. With His light of truth He reveals it; with His incarnational mass He destroys it, and with His resurrectional energy He triumphs over it. And all this is for us, if we will but believe.

Paul wrote to the church at Rome, "what may be known about God is plain...because God has made it plain... For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made." (1:19,20)

Yes, it's as plain as the stars in the night sky. All 300 sextillion of them.

Pray: Creator, Sustainer, Savior God, let me see you in all You have made. Help me to feel the reality of being connected and intertwined with You and your universal purposes. Help me to shine with the light of Your glory.