7. The light shines in the darkness…

In John’s Gospel Jesus often seems to shine a light on what is happening around him. This does not necessarily make him popular!  John says, “Light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed, But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God. (John 3. 19 & 20) .
We can all be uncomfortable if things we wanted to hide are suddenly revealed!

REFLECTION POINTS
• Are there things about you which you would prefer other people not to see or know? Why?
• Have you ever suddenly seen someone else in a “new light”, and discovered they were not the people you thought they were (for good or ill)?
• Pray this prayer by Jim Cotter. What do you think of it?

Give me a candle of the Spirit, O God, 
as I go down into the deeps of my being.
Show me the hidden things, 
the creatures of my dreams, 
the storehouse of forgotten memories and hurts. 
Take me down to the spring of my life, 
and tell me my nature and my name. 
Give me freedom to grow, 
so that I may become that self, 
the seed of which you planted in me at my making. 
Out of the depths I cry to you, O God.

ALL AGE IDEA
• Tidy some corner of your house today – just turning out that drawer of bits and bobs will do - and see what “comes to light.” Have you found something you’d forgotten you had?