Essentials for the Journey
Week 2 of Lent – Flashlight: Gaining Wisdom

“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.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.”

—John 1:4-10

Written by Pastor Rushan, Senior Minister

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and tried to walk around without turning on the lights? It can be disastrous, especially if you don’t know the place very well. Night-time forays in the dark mean that we trip over things stub our toes on unseen objects and risk falling down the stairs. Light, however, is not just important for helping us see where we are going. It is vital even if we cannot see it. All forms of living creature depend on light for life. It helps plants to grow and provides vital nutrients for our well-being.

We’ve just spent several weeks reflecting on the theme of light and also talked about some of the characteristics of light for our spiritual journey. One of the interesting features of the creation story in Genesis is that God creates light before they create the sun, moon or stars.

We need a lamp or flashlight in our journey through life but we cannot depend just on a lamp for ever. A flashlight or lamp without the greater source of light might show us the way but it could not renew and re-kindle new life in us and the world around us.

Ultimately, we need to connect to the greater source of light, God, before we can shine our light in all the world and make a difference.

The second spiritual essential for real life is the wisdom of learning to discern and identify the true light that is of God and allowing that light to energize and renew us on our journey of faith.