What words do you associate with light? How about darkness?

Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.- Martin Luther King, Jr

Scripture Text: (1 JN 1:5—2:2)

Beloved:

This is the message that we have heard from Jesus Christ

and proclaim to you:

God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.

If we say, “We have fellowship with him,”

while we continue to walk in darkness,

we lie and do not act in truth.

But if we walk in the light as he is in the light,

then we have fellowship with one another,

and the Blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin.

If we say, “We are without sin,”

we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just

and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.

If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar,

and his word is not in us.

My children, I am writing this to you

so that you may not commit sin.

But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,

Jesus Christ the righteous one.

He is expiation for our sins,

and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).

No matter what we’ve seen or done or experienced, this statement remains true: darkness cannot overcome the light. In the face of the nightmares of abortion, poverty, genocide, and homelessness, despite the shadows cast by unrestrained greed, lust, and warmongering, the word of God remains true. And so we can declare, “Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy… when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me” (Micah 7:8).

Each of us knows in some way the darkness of sin or tragedy. To all of us, Jesus calls, “Come out!” (Isaiah 49:9). “Don’t let the darkness overwhelm you. I’m still here, and I want to help you.