大象传媒

Good morning.

I was once leading a camp for children in a remote location where, when the generator was switched off at night, there was no artificial light. As you can imagine, that provided wonderful moments staring at the stars on clear nights, but it also made some people feel quite afraid when the lights went out.

One foggy evening, one roomful of children was convinced that they could hear someone聽scrabbling around in the bushes outside their window. As the hysteria rose, my co-leader and I聽announced that we would go outside with torches and investigate. We headed off out into the gloom, speaking in loud clear voices so that everyone inside could hear us.

鈥淐an you see anything, Ross?鈥�

鈥淐ertainly can鈥檛, Fiona, there鈥檚 nobody here.鈥�

You get the idea.

All was fine until the moment we rounded the corner of the building and came face to face with a gigantic fur-covered creature. Needless to say, both of us screamed at full pitch, at which point the dog from the neighbouring farm turned and ran off. Our subsequent bursts of laughter had the fortuitous effect of calming everyone down, and although we were the object of much hilarity for the rest of the week, lights out time was much easier from that point.

Light is powerful. Even the tiniest amount dispels any darkness. It brings relief from fear, provides guidance and is often a sign of joy. Jesus calls himself the light of the world, the one who comes to dispel darkness, conquer fear and show truth. In the darkest of moments, his presence brings joy and comfort.

Jesus, you are the Light of the World. Today, would you dispel the darkness that brings fear or sadness, and comfort us in every situation.

Amen.