Light of the World

So I'm sure by now all of y'all have heard about what's going on over in Dallas with the shootings and violence because it's been all over the news and every social media platform in the world. This post is kind of going to hit on that, but not just that specifically.

So everyone that I've talked to about this whole situation pretty much has the same idea in their responses; it's a tragedy to see what is happening with our citizens and police officers around the country. One word in specific keeps coming up: dark. This whole situation is just very dark all the way around. The fact that people can treat each other with such violence and carelessness is unbelievable. I think the fact that everyone references the darkness in today's society is a very important idea to pick up on. Around the world and throughout all of time, darkness is symbolized to represent evil, hard times, and death. If you've ever watched a scary movie, all of the bad stuff happens when the sun goes down and in dark areas. Nobody likes the dark for a reason. Researchers say that every person is born with two rational fears: the fear of heights/falling, and the fear of the dark. Why is this? The dark impairs our ability to see, which gives us the sense that something is always hiding in the dark just waiting to get us. Because of the widespread fear of the dark among all people, whenever something happens that is evil, people always refer to it as a dark situation. The darkness is a scary place that takes all control out of our hands and our first instinct when in the dark is to try to find a way to escape it.

Now let's talk about the opposite of the dark, being light. Light gives us hope, but more importantly, it gives us freedom and power. No one is scared of going into a well lit room because we know that when we walk in, we are in control and nothing can sneak up on us because we are able to see and understand everything going on. In a less literal sense, light gives us hope. When we see someone stand up for a good cause in the midst of darkness, it is almost like they are a small light in a world of darkness. When trapped in a dark space, people are always going to flock to the little bit of light that they can find, no matter how small it is. It gives us a sense of hope and freedom. In the same way, when someone is shining light into a dark time, a time of struggle, people are going to be drawn to that person, and it can often start a chain reaction. In John 8:12, Jesus told us that He is the light of the world and whoever follows Him will never walk in the darkness again. Jesus came to Earth to give the people living in darkness hope. The world had never seen a savior in the flesh before, and because Jesus came to this world and conquered death, He ultimately conquered the darkness and shined light on a world that had never seen it before. In the same way, we can be people that shine light into a world of darkness. If you want to make a difference in society, be different. Don't follow the path of darkness that only leads to destruction. Be a light for all people to see. Give people hope; give them the faith that there is a light in these dark times that we as a country are facing. Light is often symbolized by fire, but there has never been a huge fire that started big. Every fire starts from a little spark. When people see you standing up for a great cause, they will be drawn to you, just like we are all drawn to the little bit of light in a dark room. People will start flocking to you, and that little spark that you created will soon catch on and spread to people of all nations.  I challenge everyone reading this to be the little spark that it takes to set this world on fire. There is only one true race on this planet, and that is the race of God's children. We are all formed in His reflection, and it is our duty to carry on Jesus' mission, to be the lights of the world. All it takes is one person, which turns into a small group, which soon spreads to an entire nation of people on fire! With the hard work and dedication that it takes, we can soon take this world that is plagued by darkness and spread light to everyone living on it.