The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.
Genesis 1: 2 - 4 NKJV
Most of us know the story of one Anakin Skywalker...aka Darth Vader. A young man who showed such promise for good that he was thought of as the "chosen one" who would bring peace to the galaxy. Then, along came a frail old man who introduced Anakin to a new way of thinking and suddenly Anakin was introduced to the dark side. Even now, mention the words dark side and most people think you're referring to menace and evil. But is that what darkness really is? Is darkness really the hiding place of evil, or is what we know as darkness simply a lack of light to shine upon it? Up until recently, I was of the opinion that darkness was indeed where wickedness dwelled. Darkness is unknown and unsure. Darkness is in need of the light. We're told that God brought light upon the darkness of the earth in the beginning. Up until that point the earth had been a dark void. Did that mean that the earth was evil and wicked? Not at all. The earth was simply a place where light had never been introduced. We're told that once light was introduced and shown upon the earth that God was pleased. Obviously, the Lord was aware of the difference between light and darkness. What I would say is that our own ideas about darkness have been shaped by the stories we read and the movies we watch. Darkness often brings uncertainty and the unknown. The old saying goes that it is always darkest before the dawn. What does the dawn bring each morning? Light. Former Navy Seal Dick Marcinko once said that he and his former team mates were trained to embrace the darkness as this is where they would spend most of their careers. So, I would say that if your intent is to not be seen, then stay in the darkness. However, beware of those carrying flashlights.
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "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 NKJV
Christ Jesus has told us that He is the light of the world. That we who follow Him shall have the light of life {John 8:12}. This got me to thinking, is the world such a dark and dismal place that we need the light of the Lord? Or, is Jesus simply the Light for others to follow? Jesus does say that those who follow Him shall not walk in darkness. As Christians, we have been led to believe that we indeed live in a fallen world. So, God's creation is a fallen world? I believe that this line of thinking refers to the fall in the garden of Eden where Adam and Eve gave in to the lie of the deceiver. I get it. But living in a fallen world? I find it hard to wrap my understanding onto that line of thinking. First, there is no scriptural reference to this. Now, there are plenty of scriptures that speak to the fact that we will face adversity and hard times in our lives in this world. In fact, Jesus even warned us that this would be the case {John 16:33}. Yet not only is Jesus the light of the world, but He has overcome the troubles and cares of the world we know as well. So it is that our guiding light in this world is that of Christ Jesus. We're told that Jesus has been here from the beginning {John 1:2}. Yet not only is Christ our guiding light, but our life as well. The apostle Paul introduced Christ Jesus in him, and us, in Galatians {Galatians 2:20}. I think of poor Anakin. Had he known the truth of who he truly was, his decent into the dark side may have been averted by the light of Jesus.
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1: 5 - 7 NKJV
~Scott~
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