The light has come into the world,
and people loved darkness rather than light.
—John 3.19
From a lectionary reading for Lent 4: John 3.14-21
Reflection for Saturday, March 17 (Day 22 of Lent)
Not that the dark is evil in itself. But that we sometimes use it as a place where we think we can hide, where we can cloak what we do not want seen or known in the daylight.
And this is one of the keenest challenges and invitations in seeking the way of Christ: to allow him to draw us into a place where we can be seen. Where we can be known. Where we can unhide ourselves.
There are many things we may find more attractive than this. Easier, sometimes, to hide than to take the responsibility of showing ourselves and receiving the grace that comes where we might have feared judgment; grace that comes through from the hand of One who well knew the risk of revelation and did so with stunning abandon. And so this Christ comes to ask us: What do we love more? Where will we allow this love to take us?
P.S. Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! For a reflection for this feast day (which includes Gary’s amazing song in celebration of Saint Patrick), click the image or title below.
[To use the image “Rather Than Light,” please visit this page at janrichardsonimages.com. Your use of janrichardsonimages.com helps make the ministry of The Painted Prayerbook possible. Thank you!]
March 17, 2012 at 10:33 PM |
Thanks for today’s msg – i have always struggled with unhiding and i needed to see this today.