The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. On those living in a pitch-dark land, light has dawned. — Isaiah 9:2
In Scotland, beauty comes in sudden, unexpected ways, such as when you glance out the tour bus and see this panorama. Two layers of gray/blue-gray clouds separated magnificently by rays of persistent sunlight breaking through and beaming down.
This picture symbolizes two things.
1–We’re never alone. Just because we live under gray clouds doesn’t mean God can’t see through them. We may wrestle with problems, but we don’t struggle alone. Someone pays attention. Someone cares. Somehow, in some fashion, light will break through. As the psalmist claimed, “You know when I sit down and when I stand up. Even from far away, you comprehend my plans” (Psalm 139:2).
2–Light helps us see clearly. Being a Christian means trusting Jesus’ teachings and following his example. We’re empowered to see through worldly delusions. Fransican priest Richard Rohr has rightly said that “human culture is in a vast hypnotic trance.” Jesus’ light wakes us up and points us in a new direction. “Jesus spoke to the people again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me won’t walk in darkness but will have the light of life.'” (John 8:12).
Our lives will always transition between darker, fearful, uncertain times and lighter, hopeful, clearer ones. But as this picture from the Scottish highlands affirms, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light” (John 1:5).