Curious to me,laden with mystery and promise,
are the opening verses of Genesis.
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
(God. Father, Son, Spirit. Three in one. The creative force behind color, sound, texture, taste, energy, light.)
“The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.”
(A blank canvas. An empty stage. A blinking cursor.)
“And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
(Like my mother at a fabric store, my husband in the woodshop, my daughter in the kitchen)
“And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”
(Light. Light spoken into existence. God, its solitary source. No sun. No moon. No stars. Just light.)
“And God saw that the light was good.”
(Did God smile? Did He nod? Was there a shared sigh of satisfaction within the trinity?)
“And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.”
(the work of creatives – to call into being, to name, to distinguish, to draw lines, frame truth, measure notes, trellis vines)
And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.” Genesis 1:1-5
And my curiosity into these verses is heightened still
when I read the first chapter of John
and learn that Jesus is the Word,
the Word through which all things were created
the source of the world Light
that is in the world,
Light that will not be overcome no matter how dark the darkness.
My interest reaches a fever pitch
when Jesus informs me
I am the light of the world
and tells me to shine.
I don’t need the sun
stars or moon to guide me in the dark
because I know the Light,
the light lives within me,
emanates from me,
streams out of me
but what form will I give this light?
The sun
Is not the moon
Is not the stars
And I am not
The painter,
The composer,
The preacher,
The healer,
Or the carpenter.
I am the writer light.
Weaving words that shine in the darkness.
And what form does your light take?
Is yours the light of moving pictures or still photography?
Does your light shine for children through felt and glue?
Or for the sick in bowls of soup and quiet conversation?
If yours the light flickering on the big screen
Or is it blinking like a buoy alone on rough seas?
Where and how does the Light,
Spoken into being,
Shining from before the creation of time,
leak through the cracks in your clay armor
and illuminate the world where you are?
Or are you a light that strikes?
It matters.
The pattern you throw up against the dark wall
before you
draws attention to
the One
Who gave voice to the energy
that ended darkness
and originated all life.
You, also,
radiate life
In a dead world,
Contagious life,
Viral light
That properly focused
Through the lens of your creative calling
Can dispel the destructive power of the enemy.
The power of creativity
focused through the arts or through our daily lives
unleashes the force of living light
that grows stronger as His return
comes nearer.
Write light. Compose light. Paint light. Cook light. Preach light. Weave light. Live light.
Is it dark where you are? How are you shining?
Get in on the conversation
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The Conversation
Just beautiful and inspiring. Thanks Lori. I felt like a light in the dark seas, but now I feel encouraged to continue being the light to the world in the way I have been called and created. Bless you for that, my sister!
You just blessed me right back, Rachel!
Lori, I think God’s trying to get my attention. I’ve read several posts lately about being the person God intended me to be rather than the person I’d like to be. My light will shine much brighter when I’m surrendered to Him. Surrender…that’s the hard part.
More Lori Light. Thank you for shining in His Name.
Illuminating!
You’ve reminded me that a light doesn’t need to be as bright as the sun. Any light, no matter how small, dispels darkness. So even if I can only do small things to bring light to others, I am part of His Light. A small bible study, a bowl of soup to a home bound senior, a telephone call to a someone going though hard times–all these are the lights I’m called to send into someone’s darkness. I have no excuse for not being one of the lights of the world. Thank you for reminding me. MOMMA