Today, we will start a three-part discussion on light and blindness. It seems as if God takes us on a spiritual journey of sight and blindness, light and darkness, insight and ignorance.
In the very first chapter of the bible the Creation and the manifestation of Light together convey a certain truth about God. Let us examine this truth.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.” (Genesis 1:1-5)
Notice how light was the very first thing that God created, which carries significant implications. Importantly, God saw that this light was good. This light carries goodness within it, which is an attribute of God. Light is created on Day 1, but the celestial bodies are not created until Day 4. Intriguingly, vegetation is created earlier than the sun; suggesting that this light has vegetative—life-giving—power.
Light is a core theme of scripture: we see it from the beginning to the end of the bible, from Genesis to Revelation. In addition to goodness, this light is closely associated with God’s glory. In Revelation, we see the creative power of God going back to work to create a new heaven and a new earth of endless light. The New Jerusalem is described as being illuminated by God’s glory:
The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. (Revelation 21:23)
We see this link between light and glory in the burning bush that Moses encounters in the wilderness. A fire that does not consume is a strange sight, and as Moses learned, holy ground as God instructed him to take off his shoes. This is the place where Moses asked God for His name and received God’s answer “I AM WHO I AM”. We encounter this fire again in the story of the three Hebrew worthies that were thrown in a fierce fire that did not even touch their garments.
So far, we can see that this light is essential for life, and it displays both God’s goodness and glory. But that’s not all.
The New Testament is filled with descriptions of this light. The book of John begins as follows:
“1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcomeit. And then in 9, The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
We see again this equation of life to this light. Jesus is the true light of God, which is equivalent to the Word of God. It is what God says, His speech. The words of God shine like eternal light. They provide the prerequisite for life, just like the bread of life. This light is glorious and full of grace and truth. These concepts convey the character and mission of God and are closely associated with each other in the bible.
What’s more, this light is at the heart of God’s judgment:
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” (John 3:16-21)
Loving the darkness and spending time there is essentially living in spiritual blindness for us, since we cannot see in the dark. Note that Jesus is not any light, he is the true light, which suggests that there is a false light. Since no one would willingly choose blindness, perhaps we mistake a false type of light for the true light, essentially choosing darkness in God’s perspective.
The most direct story concerning the relationship between Jesus and true light is the story of the Transfiguration, which is told with great consistency in Matthew, Luke, and Mark. Here is Mark 9:1-8:
And Jesus was saying to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”
Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John [note that according to Jewish law as established in Deuteronomy, three witnesses are required to authenticate an event—DW], and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them. [Clearly, this is to be understood as a supernatural light—DW] Elijah appeared to them along with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to answer; for they became terrified. Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!” [Note that god says this in the proximate context of the law and the prophets, as represented by Moses and Elijah—DW] All at once they looked around and saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone.”
In his transfiguration, Jesus underwent a change of state—from human to supernatural. Moses and Elijah did not. The point was to show the disciples Peter, James, and John in the clearest possible way that Moses and Elijah did not have the divine nature Jesus had, even though (as devout Jews) the disciples would have revered Moses and Elijah as pinnacles of law-giving and prophecy respectively. The Transfiguration demonstrated that Jesus is divine and therefore his word and his ministry are superior to those of even the greatest of human lawgivers and prophets. If Jesus is the true light, the supernatural light, is an emphasis on the law and prophecy part of the false light?
God’s light is God’s grace. The metaphor of light can help us understand more about this awesome concept of grace. The characteristics of light and grace are similar: Light dispels darkness; light itself cannot be seen but reveals everything in its presence (put grace where light is and see how it fits); grace cannot be grasped or held; light fills all space available to it, but will not invade space close to it; it can be everywhere at once; it is never consumed or exhausted by anything in its presence; grace is illumination, enabling us to find our way; light is color revealing incredible beauty all around us; light is warmth-giving comfort; light or grace is energy producing power; light is speed—from here to there in an instant; light is essential for good health and growth; and light has a fundamental source, that is Infinite.
The Quakers believe that we all carry an “inner light”. It is synonymous to what Paul called the light in our hearts:
For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)
Like the tongues of fire that came down on the disciples during Pentecost, we can see grace carried within each of us. This light seems to function as a transceiver set to the frequency of God, establishing a connection and enabling communication with him.
Connectivity with God has two important functions: First, it is a convector of sin, giving Mankind a sense of his/her eternal need of grace; and second, it is a guide to truth, the true knowledge of who God is.
Jesus extended to us the true light and asked us to not hide it away:
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16).
How are we to understand and relate to this light, this grace? The fact that we are given a measure of this light and asked by Jesus to let it shine through speaks to our standing in front of God and our responsibility to his word. We need to pass it through, let it shine, because that glorifies our father.
The scriptural equation of God with light is more than metaphor—it has a reality. Like the light of God, Grace is a foundational characteristic of God— it reflects the nature and personhood of God. This should help us view ourselves and our relationship with God and the world in a new light, the true light.
What do you think of this light? Can you see this light? Light is what gives everything around us its color. We very much enjoy colors: they create the magnificent beauty all around us. Is that how grace works? What do you see when you look around you, or inside of you? Can you see grace?
Donald: Having been a photographer in my life—and really, being a photographer is coming to understand light and being able to record it—I think there are a number of things here that would be interesting for us to ponder. Was God the source of light in the beginning? Since the sun hadn’t been created, how could there be light in this world if the sun or the planets hadn’t been created yet?
So, is God actually the source of light? Light responds to something that it reflects on in order to be seen. In other words, if you light up a light and it penetrates darkness, it will only be seen on what it falls upon. It will penetrate darkness, but it’s not seen within the darkness. I think that’s an interesting metaphor between us and God. If we are to reflect His light, that light literally has to come within us; otherwise, it’s not there to be seen. However, the source of light can be seen. If you look at a light bulb, you can see the source of light, but it will penetrate the whole room until it falls upon some substance.
I think those are interesting analogies. By being surrounded in darkness, we come to look at the source of light more clearly. That’s why, when we want to watch television, we prefer a dark room. Our eyes will always see light in a dark environment. So, maybe that has something to do with the idea that if the world is bright around us, we are distracted by it and can’t focus on the light.
Darkness is not a thing; it’s the lack of light. This is just a reality. Darkness is the lack of light. Light is a substance, but darkness is not. If you turn the bulb off, you will have darkness, but darkness doesn’t come into the room. Darkness was there. Darkness is penetrated by light. Those are a number of things I thought were interesting in response to the idea of light and God being the source of our light.
Don: I’m puzzled as to why grace is necessary before the fall. If, in fact, light is the first product of creation, why does God create grace as the first step in creation? I always thought of grace as something helpful and presumably necessary for the fallen condition, but this suggests that grace is necessary for the created condition.
Carolyn: Do you think it’s because God knows the beginning from the end, and He knew we would need it? That’s why it comes in at the beginning, as part of the definition or core definition of life?
Don: That’s possible. One of the other things we’ve spoken about before in this class—and you may, Michael, mention it again—is that the Tree of Life is considered the tree of grace, or they are metaphors for the tree of grace. I’m wondering if maybe there’s some kind of life-giving source that’s necessary for our survival, linked to grace and to this concept of light, and whether it is the necessary first step in creation because it’s the sustaining power of life.
Donald: Carolyn, you indicated that maybe it’s because God knew the end from the beginning. Do you actually think that God knew, when He created this world, that it would be a world that would fall?
Carolyn: I think if we believe that God is all-knowing, and He knows the end from the beginning, it brings us close to our whole discussion of predestination. Personally, I feel like God knows it all.
Sharon: He knows it all. And in reality, He created very perfect angels who were a source of light, and a third of them left and rejected the light. So, by the time He created the world, I think He already knew that there was this potential for us to reject the light and to reject grace. It could be that this was innately the avenue of exit He had given us in our design because He knew we had the potential, in freedom of choice, to be vulnerable, to choose the devil and his route.
Donald: It’s interesting for me to think about whether God would create a world knowing that humanity would suffer as it has and does, and continues to suffer.
C-J: What if we consider it as an organic experience, not a predictable outcome, like tossing a stone into a pond? It’s filled with potential in terms of the impact. The Earth is organic. It’s constantly evolving, erupting, shifting. I don’t think we would grow if we were pre-made and designed like robots. We are spirit beings, and this energy that passes through us is part of us. When this body dies, the energy doesn’t; it only changes. It doesn’t cease to exist. And I think that’s what we need to lean into—the energy of God constantly transforming us, becoming, being, and becoming.
Reinhard: There is no good thing that happens without any bad thing happening. We don’t appreciate the goodness of God if we don’t go through suffering. Part of God’s creation is the whole package. We have to go through certain situations or tests, some hardship, otherwise we don’t obtain the end. When God created the world, grace was already there from the beginning. Grace was already in God’s mind to pour out onto His creation. Maybe the fall of the angels was already a big lesson for God before He created humans. In the New Testament, Jesus mentions, “I am the light of the world.” Michael mentioned light and the object. We don’t see light unless it hits an object. If it just passes through, we don’t really see it, we just see the light.
I want to share something interesting from a conversation I had with a Muslim friend about Jesus. In their religion, they admit Jesus is a great prophet. There’s no question he’s great. In fact, right now, they talk more about Jesus. This is my own experience. A few years ago, I was in London, and the people who distribute literature—even in their Muslim outfits—showed a picture of Jesus. I asked, “Why are you showing a picture of Jesus?” They said, “He’s a great prophet for Muslims.”
But in the context of Jesus as the light of the world and our perspective as Christians, they emphasize that Jesus is only a prophet because of some verses the Koran where Jesus says He doesn’t even know the hour of His return. We know that in the Bible, He says, “Only the Father knows,” but they forget the status of Jesus as the light of the world. As a human, He was limited when He spoke about the will of God. So they always say that Jesus is only human, and they don’t admit that when Jesus died on the cross, God cannot die. But they forget, as we read in John 1, that “the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
It’s interesting to discuss because the whole issue is that we see Jesus die on the cross as a human, but even Jesus said He could give His life and take it back. He can forgive sin. So Jesus, acting as a human, is limited. But when He went back to heaven, He knows the time of His return. As a human, He didn’t know the time, but once He returned to heaven, He knows.
As Christians, we sometimes encounter people who don’t know about the divine power and godship of Jesus.
C-J: We’ve talked several times about faith and grace—that God meets us where we are—and that sometimes Judeo-Christians can be very elitist. We need to understand that our thinking is finite and shaped by tradition, and what we embrace as a text inspired by God is also woven together with cultural history and other factors. In our relationship with the Creator, the divine, we will stumble. As humans, to think that we can fully understand who God is, how much God loves creation, and how much He desires a relationship with His creation—that includes things that will…
Michael: If this is the true light, and if it’s so abundant, the question becomes: Why do we find it hard to see? What is the blinding factor that makes it hard to see this light? There’s some blindness going on. What is blinding us from seeing this light clearly?
C-J: Because we are finite. Our eyes, in this dimension, can only see certain spectra anyway, but there’s light all around us. We just can’t identify it as such. It’s only the Holy Spirit that gives enlightenment.
Donald: Others here have spoken about the evolution of God—that God is still forming, still coming to be. I don’t know that we’ve really focused on that as a perspective; certainly not as Adventists. Words like “organic” and “dimension” are foreign to us. We feel that when one dies, one sleeps until the Second Coming. However, if I understood Connie’s perspective, once we pass, the world moves on, and it evolves. Does it change? We’re talking this morning as if creation was the beginning of God, but it really wasn’t. God existed long before this world, and so, was grace part of God’s experience in coming into this world? I mean, everything didn’t begin at the beginning of time as we know it, or within the context of our world. God existed long before that.
I’m just trying to put the ideas being presented this morning together in my mind. Reinhard said something like, we almost have to experience pain in order to know what pain isn’t. I’m not sure how to think about that because, as I understand it, sin didn’t exist prior to this world. This is the only world that has fallen. But maybe that’s just a perspective as well.
C-J: If I remember correctly, the Bible says that after we die and are resurrected, all things will be revealed, so we won’t have the same blindness we do in this dimension. We’ll understand the fullness in another place where God reveals it. Some people say we’ll be angels, singing in choirs, ministering to others. We tell our children, “God has given you an angel to protect you when I’m not there.” Little kids imagine wings and things like that. But I do believe there is a presence, in addition to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. I sometimes really sense that I am being sheltered, that I am being protected. Maybe that’s the faith of a little child in me—that God will make that provision. But I just think we can’t begin to understand the height, depth, breadth, and intentional purpose of the Divine.
Reinhard: When someone is blind, as Paul experienced on the way to Damascus, they are helpless. They need other people’s help. They have limited power; everything depends on others. I think, in that state of mind, they are patient. When they find God, like Paul, or when Jesus heals the blind, they totally depend on God. In their lives, they are fully dependent on Him, and their spiritual life grows stronger. When they hear about Jesus, I think that’s why, to me, when we talk about blindness, maybe it’s better to become spiritually blind at some point so we can appreciate God’s grace more in our lives. That’s the lesson I take from blindness.
As for what happens after, sometimes, as believers, we try to imagine what life after this one will be like. The Bible mentions the new earth, and some scholars write that we’ll live on this new earth, without seas, doing activities. Maybe there will be communication with Heaven, and perhaps we’ll be welcomed into Heaven whenever we need to go. There are things that eyes have never seen, as the Bible says. We’ll find out, and God has already prepared it. Life forever won’t be boring. Our constant relationship with God will reveal things to us. From the lessons we live on this earth, we’ll appreciate everything more. As believers, we take the word of God and what the Bible mentions, and that’s what we can hold on to.
Don: We’ll look forward to next week and Michael’s essay on blindness and what that has to do with grace—how grace causes blindness, something we haven’t considered much in the past. We’ll be looking forward to it and thinking about it this week.
* * *
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.