Like many, I had mostly thought of the visual contrast between light and dark when I meditated on these passages in the past: John 1:4, "In him was life, and the life was the light of men;" Isaiah 60:3, "And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising;" and the Song of Simeon in Luke 2:29-32, "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel." As I came to write my reflection for this Epiphany season, though, what struck me was the cold suffered in the dark and the warmth given by the light.
I clearly remember my friend's words when he spoke of reading the Gospels and hearing the real stories of Jesus for the first time. At one of our meetings in the cafe after practicing Kazakh, I had asked him if he had read the Gospel passage for that week. He said to me that he had, and then he said, "Whenever I read about Jesus, I feel a warmth." He wrapped his arms around himself and continued, "It is really nice." He became more and more excited to read the Gospels.
My friend had begun to read the Gospels because we had had many conversations about Jesus. I told him the best way to get to know Jesus is to read the Gospels. He had heard little about Jesus before, and what he had heard was the standard tales told among Muslims: he is a prophet, he was a great teacher, he was not God and did not die, but he was taken into heaven. At first my friend wasn't sure if he should read the Gospels. What would be new or different about reading the stories? As a Muslim he loved Jesus; after all, he was a great prophet of God. So I asked him, "If I say I love you, and you tell me all these things about yourself, but I don't believe any of it, do I really love you? Doesn't love believe what the other person says about himself? If you love Jesus, then you should read about him and see what he says about himself." He agreed, and I gave him a Bible in Kazakh. In the Scriptures, he found the warmth of the Word made flesh.
Reflecting on his words this Epiphany season, I thought about Jesus being the light of men. Not only does light expose works of darkness and illuminate the mind and heart to truth, it also produces warmth. Darkness is cold. Death is cold. But light and life are warm. Being in the presence of the one who is the Light and the Life brings warmth. Despite the exposure, despite the difficult truths we face about ourselves when we come into the light, there is a great warmth, and it is a warmth we want others to feel.
Jesus says to us in Matthew 5:14-16, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." We are light because we are the body of Christ, the one who is the Light. We are light because we have been made children of God as John says in his Gospel (John 1:12-13): "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." The Light has come to the nations, and it is through the Light shining in us, His body, that more and more people are exposed to the Light. Let Jesus shine on you and warm your heart, mind, body, and soul, that his light might shine through you in your family, in your workplace, in your school, in your neighborhood. May more and more people be brought into the warm, loving embrace of the One who is Light and Life!
Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen
-Asher serves in Kazakhstan working to build up the local church through mentorship and spiritual formation and pastors in an international church.