Jesus the Eternal Light

Snap! Crackle! Pop! Bang! Boom!
 
Sounds like a box of cereal! In fact, such were the sounds that rang throughout West Auckland over several nights, with fireworks filling New Zealand skies with adorning lights and wondrous colour, as the annual Guy Fawkes celebrations took place.

I recall Guy Fawkes as a young kid in Otara. Dad would buy a bunch of fire crackers (loud ones at that), and the five of us (siblings), would have to share. It worked out to be 4 fire crackers per person with my older sister, for some reason, having fifteen to herself (I still can’t work that out?). Once we
had made our little noise, from our little pile of fire crackers, in our little corner of the street – we would sit on the driveway and marvel at our neighbours’ sky rockets screaming high into the air, followed by a loud bang, and culminating with the burst of a fountain of the most beautiful colours. I remember sitting and wishing these lights would never end. It was awesome. As kids, we knew the best thing was waking the next morning to scan the street for unlit fireworks – this was fun!

The multi-coloured light spectacle that is Guy Fawkes, can act as a reminder for us in a spiritual sense. Jesus says, “I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness” (John 8:12).  Unlike fire crackers and sky rockets that showcase a flurry of light momentarily, Jesus claims that by following him, the “light of the world,” life no longer needs to be lived in darkness – it is not just a burst of light that returns to darkness. Rather, it is a light that never goes out – an Eternal Light. It is a promise of companionship all the days of our lives. And how about us?
 
Many of us have lost the spark and excitement of first following Jesus Christ. Some of us, who once needed the “light of the world,” are like fire crackers – we just make a loud bang – a loud noise. And we won’t make noise again until something ignites a new excitement inside us. Some of us, like sky rockets, scream high into the night skies, producing a spectacle of light, attractive to the eye, that lasts only seconds – but then we lose our fizzle. But, there are also those of us, who are like the next morning – just lying there unlit. If its unlit – well, it’s not a light is it?

In Jesus, there is no darkness. This light does not fizzle out. It’s not just noise. This Light will burn even in our most darkest of days. Will you accept the “Light of the World?”

Bless your week!

Rev. Gary Mauga