John 1:6-8
“He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.” vs. 8
There are times in this world of intrusive darkness, when we would very much like to brighten the day for someone caught in the depths of sadness and despair. And so we try! We test jokes and witty sayings, or maybe try out some little bit of fluff and pablum that we’ve picked up from the internet. Sometimes we might coax a smile or maybe get an upturned corner of the mouth, but often nothing we try seems to work. Pain which is deeply rooted can’t be budged by the trivial or the superficial. It’s important in those instances to relax and not even try to be the cheer-giver. What people want is a word of understanding and acceptance. They want feelings to be honored and not discounted by shallow distractions. So we’re at our best when we are ourselves, knowing that we’re not the light that’s doing to shatter darkness, and yet content to be a loving presence. Like John the baptizer, we do have a role in the salvation story but we’re not the star. We’re the witnesses–and our call is to bring comfort by pointing to the One who is the Light of the World. And often the One who is the Light works through our gentleness and brings to the hurting one an aura of peace and joy. And in our humility, healing comes!
Thought for the Day: What’s the difference between talking about Jesus and testifying to the light?
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