“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” – John 1:5
The world we live in is becoming increasingly darker. Murder, mayhem, mass shootings, child abductions and abject poverty are pushing more humans into the margins. Recently in our city there were over 30 shootings, 11 homicides and multiple stabbings over a seven-to-10-day period. Not a day goes by that we don’t get news alerts of another act of violence occurring.
If the daily violence isn’t devastating enough, recently a funeral was sprayed with over 60 bullets. While it’s sad that three people were hit, it’s even sadder that families cannot even grieve loved ones at funerals anymore without the threat of violence and retaliation.
Pastors, politicians, police and everyday citizens are asking: “What is the answer to curbing and ultimately eradicating this continuing wave of violence and murder?” I am convinced that what many of us know to be the answer is often overlooked or undersold. The answer is Jesus!
Jesus is the light of the world. Jesus is the light that darkness cannot overcome. Jesus is the living word. Jesus is the son of God, the word of God, the creator of life, the very being and essence of life.
John’s Gospel is pivotal to our understanding of light and darkness. If Jesus Christ is the word of God, then humans must hear and understand that word or be lost forever in the ignorance of God and who God is. Darkness will continue to prevail in the absence of the true light.
Here are some additional questions for us to ponder. How can the Gospel be presented in a manner where all who hear can understand it? How can we cause humanity to ask: “Who is this man (Jesus) and how can an understanding of him dispel the present-day darkness?” Can we compel humanity to ponder the question: “How can Jesus be master over quality, distance, time, quantity, natural laws, misfortune and death?
Ponder this as well: How can we compel Christians to tell of his goodness everywhere we go with an eye toward saving souls? How can we get ministers of the Gospel to take the position “woe be unto me if I do not preach the Gospel?” The answers to these questions are crucial if humanity is to move out of darkness into God’s marvelous light.
Therefore, it is critical that we who see the light get those who don’t to understand that God is not off in some distant place far removed from the world. God is not unconcerned and disinterested in what happens to the world. God cares deeply about the world. God cares about every minute detail and every action occurring in our world. God cares about everything and every person.
So what is the cause of so much darkness? The problems of the world are not due to God and God’s attitude toward the world. The problems of this world are due to sin. The problems of this world are due to human’s attitudes and the evil of human hearts.
So the question remains: Can you see the light?
Dr. Preston T. Adams III is senior pastor at Amazing Grace Christian Church in Indianapolis. Contact Pastor Adams via email at drpta3@agccindy.org or via Twitter @DrPrestonTAdams. For more information, visit agccindy.org.
