“A Shining Light”
by Keith Leach, January 2025

John 1:3-5 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

This New Year’s Day I, like many others, woke up expecting to celebrate a brand new start. The hope of a clean slate for each of us, the ability to move away from our mistakes, our unfinished business and look forward to a new day. Unfortunately, what we woke to see the news of multiple deaths in New Orleans and one death in Las Vegas. Altogether 16 people (including the perpetrators of the events) died, and many others were physically wounded. Additionally, there is assuredly psychological damage for us all, but even more life changing for those who were physically on the scene.

As I tried to process this 180 degree change, I found myself asking, “Why God?” Why are we so broken that we have to hurt one another? How can we get so infuriated with others that we set out to randomly kill people? Why do we live in a world that sees hostility and power as the way to “fix” things? I tried desperately to make sense of the world.

Fortunately, I found God’s words that makes sense if we truly look at these acts of violence as the groaning of the world that loves the “light” that God brought to humanity and yet the darkness is still trying to overcome that same light. Almost 2000 years ago, John wrote that Jesus’ entire earthly ministry was to show how the “light” of God’s love could, and would, bring all things into God’s good will.

It is in these times that it is incumbent on us to remember the light came into the world for all people. Especially including the ones who want the darkness. The light came and it is a light that will not be turned off. It is a not a light that can be covered up. It is a light based on a love that is deeper than we can understand. It is a love that is the only thing that makes us find a peace that surpasses all knowledge. Let us keep moving toward the light of Christ.