Light and Darkness

'And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.'
-Genesis 1:3

'In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.'
-John 1:4-5

'Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."'
- John 8:12

'For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.'
- 2 Cor. 4:6

Cold blackness, a night that’s felt
Aloneness, like Leviathan’s fate
Hope has died, now faith removed
Opress’d at the spell of ebony weight

A clock ticks, each second pounds
Calm belies the gathering storm
Haunting memories take on flesh
An apparition now a darkened form

The talon’d grip holds fast and firm
Has grace forgot that ancient pledge?
Can one be lost, cast far away?
Is mercy left for foulest dredge?

Lazarus' stench, alive but dead
Eyes drawn tight from Eden's stain
One word uttered, death has stuttered
Can these graveclothes dance again?

Declare your word, a whisper’d voice
A lightning flash from mercy’s arc
A Cross suspended, a world upended
Begone! that devil of the dark

Darkness mine, now His became
Exchanged brightness for deepest night
Imputation and transformation
Death became the brightest light
-Dan Morse, Dark, 2009

Dear Christ Our Redeemer Family and Friends,

The Bible portrays the Christian life as a startling contrast to the non-Christian life. New life is radical and pervasive. It leaves no stone unturned. It is as alarming as being born all over again. It is as different as day is from night. It is like a resurrection from the dead. No, it is a resurrection from the dead. It is shocking, alarming, and absolute. The gospel does not come to us to make slight improvements, it comes to make us new. Like Lazarus, without resurrection we always carry with us the odor of death. We are like dead men walking. But when God changes us it is like a transport from death to life, from darkness to light. In this new birth we are made new, a new creation has begun, and old things have passed away.

May God give us a true sense of the radical nature of the new birth and may God let us never settle for anything less.

Pastor Dan