"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. 1 John 12:46
What can be accomplished if we bow our heads, bend our knees, and confess that He is the Lord of Lords? I am convinced when I dwell on earthly matters, discuss material worth, question my popular status, or worry for the unknown future, I am back stepping away from my faith and out of the light.
This morning, my Egyptian pastor described the mid day sunshine in the Middle East. He depicted a blinding bright light that shone the span of the horizon and impossible to escape. Then he went on the explain the three hours of midnight darkness that came over Calvary when the soldiers crucified Jesus.
Darkness which Webster defines as the absence of light is used throughout The Bible to describe the day of judgement and is a metaphor of a future for those without salvation.
The worship leader whispered the mindful lyrics, "May I never the wonder, The wonder of the cross. May I see it like the first time standing as a sinner lost." And I fixed my eyes.
Walking in my rubbers through barely undisturbed snowfall in northern Central Park past tourists rifling finely packed ice bombs off Belvedere Castle, I squinted at the glaring light of the stark white landscape. Snowmen all shapes and sizes scattered The Great Lawn and laughing parent's ran after runaway sleds. A hawk flew over Strawberry Fields strewn with roses and geese walked delicately across the frozen pond. The sun quietly dropped to my right and reflected off the Brilliant Plaza Hotel. A rich warm bass tone from a distant cello rose up as the temperature quickly sank and I rushed by the barren forsythia bush to the safety of the subway steps.
It dawned on me, my glowing New York praise was a victim of seasonal affective disorder. I have let January and February's cold climate and short days hinder my vision of the gleaming glory of the city I dreamed about and fled to just over 400 days ago.
I've been in the shadow and lost the wonder of Manhattan.
"For it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Ephesians 5:14
Who is ready for spring solstice?
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