Light

A ‘Thought for the Day’ for Black Cat Radio on 19th October 2019

Have you noticed how much difference light makes?

As I’m writing this it’s a bit cold outside but the sky is blue and the sun is out and it suddenly seems so much easier to get things done compared to the last few days of dark skies and gloomy weather. Lots of people find the darker days of autumn and winter a struggle, finding that as the days get shorter and darker they are more tired, and feel down a lot. Special daylight lamps can help with this but there’s nothing like a walk in one of those bright winter days when the sun is out to lift moods and spirits. Light can make a massive difference to us in many ways – just think of how a sinister shape in the dark can be revealed as a harmless piece of furniture when the light is on, or of how having a torch in a power cut can make the difference between falling over things and being able to walk confidently.

Light is also important in lots of faiths, including Christianity. One of the first things God does in the Bible is say “let there be light”, and in the Bible light is a symbol of knowledge and understanding, of new insights, of comfort and of justice. You might have seen that famous picture called “The Light of the World” by an artist called Holman Hunt which shows Jesus standing in a dark place holding a lantern, knocking at a door. Hunt painted this to represent how God comes to us and asks to be let into our lives but doesn’t force us to let him in. But to me this is also a comforting reminder that God is always ready to offer us his light, even when things are dark or difficult, if we feel like opening the door to him.

So as we get further into autumn and winter let’s celebrate light and remember that it’s always just around the corner.