CREDIT: Zsolt Andrasi on FLICKR

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Light is God’s first created thing. It’s also His fastest, traveling at just over 186,000 miles/second. Its velocity makes it seem instantaneous. It starts from a point and travels simultaneously in all directions. And finally, it’s one of His most relentless creations because it just keeps going and going, stopping for nothing. Therefore, it’s one of the best examples to help us envision God. God is always present with us – we don’t need to wait for Him. Not only is He with us, but He’s with everyone else in creation. And, like light, He is relentless … always searching for us, able to get through the very smallest of cracks to illuminate our lives.

God penetrates the darkest darkness, “For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and His glory will be seen upon you.” (Isaiah 60:2) His word shines, unstopped, in the world’s darkness, reaching through it into hearts needing to be softened by Him.

God’s gifts – His mercy, grace, and love – land on everyone, everywhere in His creation, even those who’ve never heard of Him, “This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs (with the Jews, the original heirs to His promises), members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (Ephesians 3:6) No matter who or where you are, God is there calling to you through the Holy Spirit to receive His gifts of forgiveness and eternal life.

God uses people, like the wise men who brought word of Jesus’ birth to Jerusalem from far away, to carry His gifts throughout His creation to bring His good news to others (Matthew 2:1-12). His light travels through all the generations, coming to us today that we might continue to be the means He uses to keep spreading it to future generations. So let us receive His light and then boldly reflect it into the lives of others that they too will receive it and be saved by it.

In Christ’s Love,

Pastor Jim