1 ^3bWhat has come into being ⁴ in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸ He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.  (John 1:3b-8)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior. Amen.

The season of Epiphany plays with the imagery of light to illuminate our awareness of Christ. At times the imagery of light is more literal. The magi follow a star in search of the anointed one. The heavens are ripped apart at the Baptism of Jesus. Jesus is transfigured into a glowing figure in front of the disciples on the mountain top. Other instances, the image is more figurative. Jesus calls the disciples and illuminates them with a peek at His mission. Jesus teaches with an authority that had not been previously heard – shining a new reality into Scripture.

The image of light denotes revelation – knowing Jesus Christ. The imagery of light also illuminates our lives with the revelation of God in Christ Jesus. God’s light shines into our own darkness as well as the darkness of the world around us. We get to see God.

John had a clear-cut trajectory to his life. He was to go out into the wilderness, dress like a prophet (camel’s hair), eat like a prophet (locusts and wild honey), baptize, preach, and be martyred. That is what worked in his context. People flocked to him in part because he reminded them of stories they had heard about the prophets of old. Most of us would not be able to pull off that look. I personally can handle the baptizing and preaching, but would prefer to take a pass on the rest. It also highly doubtful that anyone would listen to someone who went around dressed and acting like John did back then. Connotations have changed.

Just because we live in a different context, does not mean we are off the hook. We are still called to testify to the light. Jesus tells us, “¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” We are called to testify to the light by using the gifts each of us has and in the context we live. Our voices join with other believers. We raise our voices and our acts of love; together we testify to the light of the world. We illuminate the darkness with the light of Christ.

The grace and peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.