John 1:1-18

In the gospel of John, we read: "The light shines in the darkness, and darkness could not overpower it."

The gospel of John presents a struggle between the light of Christ and the darkness of the world that rejects him. The light does not dispel the darkness, but it is not overcome by it. Grace and truth are offered to all those with faith in the only Son of the Father, but those who reject the Son of God will be rejected. There is no gray in the gospel of John, only light and darkness.

Yet, the light of this gospel has cast a shadow over the world. Its hostility toward "the Jews," who respected the teachings of Jesus but resisted the claim that he is the Messiah, has been used by Christians for almost two millennia to justify the persecution of Jews. Our faith is that the light of Christ will overcome the darkness, but the light of Christ should not blind us to the darkness within our hearts and our churches. Our sin is thinking that our light will dispel the darkness. The hope to be found in this gospel is the light of Christ that will guide us, as we face the darkness within ourselves and in our world.

Grace and peace...Bob