Sunday January 10, 2021

THE TRANSFORMING LIGHT 

The creation narrative is a statement of faith in the wisdom, the power and of God over nature and humanity.  It is also a testimony to the unconditional love of God.   God created the heavens and the earth setting in motion a series of events resulting in shape, life and functionality to what was described as an empty waste.  The narrative begins:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth the earth was it was formless and empty this was over the surface of the deep and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters

The spirit of God hovered over the waters, that which was without form took shape, the void was filled, and the darkness was dispelled by light.  So, at verses 14&15 as the writer says: 14 God said, "Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so.”

This creation narrative helps us understand the power of God to create something out of nothing, the power of God to bring order out of chaos.

It helps us to understand that the same God has the power to bring order to our lives as a human race and as individuals.

When the breath or life-giving Spirit of God moves, he dispels the darkness, and the emptiness that makes it seem that something is missing from life,  that we are just existing without purpose or worth and ultimately that life is not worth living.  He dispels darkness with light.

In the account God began with the creation of light, essential for life in many respects.  It is necessary to produce food, it is necessary for growth for vision, Light that is essential to life, you name it, light is needed.  Without light, we cannot exist as we should.

in the same way for us to truly live our lives meaningfully and with a clear sense of purpose, we must allow God to shine the light of His countenance upon us and so dispel the darkness the voids  in which we found ourselves.

Many people today are experiencing voids in their lives, some because of with the loss of loved ones.  Voids brought on by situations and issues that we cannot manage or can see no way forward.  There are voids in the lives of those who cannot be visited in hospital or nursing homes because of the pandemic.  There are broken relationships,  hunger, poverty, joblessness and it goes on.  I want to assure you that the God’s life-giving Spirit is even now hovering over you, wherever you are, whatever your situation, he wants to bring light and purpose to your life.

You see, light is not only the condition that enables us to physically see things around us, not just gaining knowledge which is shedding light on a particular situation or and it is not just the division of  24 hours into day and night.  Above all else, the true light shines into our lives through Jesus, who is the light of the world.

In The Gospel reading today, we see that God used john the Baptist in a special way to announce that Jesus was about to begin his ministry.  A ministry that would involve the work of the Holy Spirit to bring light an order into the lives which may be in chaos.

In this instance the chaos is in the lives of people.  We all have had our  experiences at some time and they indeed continue in some ways.  n

But the good news for us today is that when we allow God to intervene, he brings order to our lives and peace to our spirits. 

John the Baptist, a messenger from God was on a special mission.  He had the responsibility to prepare the way for Jesus.  He went ahead of Jesus, bringing awareness that Jesus was about to come onto the scene, somewhat a town crier.  John was not preaching in the temple, he was not in any of the places you might expect a messenger or preacher to be, INSTEAD he appeared in the wilderness, a desert,  The way he dressed was not what one might expect of the messenger.  What he ate was not one might expect of the messenger.  This was a humble man submitting to God’s purpose for his life: that was to announce Jesus and call for the people to repent and be baptized.

To use a well-known expression, we must expect the unexpected where God is concerned.  Expect something different, expect something out of the ordinary in the way God touches your life.  You never know how or when or from where his word of life will come or who the messenger will be.  One thing is certain, He acts in love.  John 3:16 reminds us that:  God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

John’s call is for baptism of repentance, a call to amend ways, abhor the sins of the past, those sins that have ruined many lives, and ask God for a new beginning.

That was what David did when in Psalm 51 he cried to God for forgiveness and renewal.  Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 

David recognized that the entire affair with Bathsheba which he thought would be one of pleasure and bliss, was ruining his life, and cast a dark shadow over him, it created within him a void and emptiness.  He felt the need to be renewed in a way that only God could do for him.

Many went to John confessing and were baptized, but he made clear that it was not about him but one coming after, one who had more power than he had making him feel unworthy to even untie his sandals, despite his best effort, despite his faith and obedience to God call on his life.   He pointed them to Jesus would come after him and baptize with the holy spirit. 

I believe John clearly understood and we should understand that baptism must be more than the physical or ritual use of water, which we describe as an outward sign of inward grace.  Baptism must mean that we are renewed by the Holy Spirit.  It must mean that God transformed our nothingness to being new creatures. 

St. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17: if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Just as the breath of God, the spirit moved over the waters, so too the spirit moves over us to bring new life and light through Jesus who said in John 8:12

"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life."

 Jesus made this assertion on the authority of his God his Father given when the holy spirit like a dove descending on him  Then that the voice from heaven declared: You are my son, whom I  love; with you I am well pleased. 

Let us be aware today that each of us need to open our lives to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to dispel whatever darkness we are enduring, so becoming new persons who have come to the light, Jesus Christ.

Amen.