O God, my God,
When was it that light first came to be?
Before You created the sun, the moon, or any celestial body, You spoke—and there was light. Before You created eyes to see, You created that which could be seen.
There was no point of reference, no familiar chain of cause and effect. There was only Your voice. When You spoke, darkness was revealed for the first time. Light entered creation because You desired it, and what had been hidden could hide no longer.
O God, what can I say to this? How can I gather words sufficient to describe the meaning of Your voice?
Human beings have ever, only known light . From the first moment our eyes opened, light was already here. We have always understood one thing by comparing it with another: light and darkness, day and night, what is revealed and what remains hidden.
But You, loving God, needed no comparison. You knew the darkness before there was light by which to name it. You needed no eyes to see, no sun to expose, and no point of reference by which to understand. You spoke, and light came forth.
Your voice did not merely break the silence, God. Your voice created the possibility of seeing.
We read:
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death,
upon them hath the light shined.”
God, I am one of those people. We are those – them.
We dwell together beneath shadows that have become so familiar that we have learned to call them home. Darkness dwells not only within me. It surrounds communities, settles over generations, enters our habits, and shapes the little arrangements we make with life.
But upon them the Light shines.
Upon us the Light shines.
Upon me the Light shines.
It comes from beyond me, God. I cannot manufacture it within myself. I cannot reason my way into it, kindle it through effort, or command it to appear. Something outside me radiates. Someone outside me radiates.
You shine upon me.
Your Light rises and showers us. It surrounds me, covers me, and enters the hidden places of my life. It brings warmth where I have grown cold, knowledge where I have remained ignorant, and responsibility where I have made excuses.
Your Light reveals, God.
Your Light consoles.
Your Light purges.
Your Light disinfects.
You expose the wound, yet You do not abandon the wounded. You uncover what has been concealed, cleanse what has become infected, and gently warm what has grown cold. Your Light comforts me, but it does not leave me unchanged.
Once I have seen, loving God, I become responsible for what You have revealed. Once You have warmed me, I am called to carry that warmth. Once You have exposed the darkness, I can no longer say that I did not know.
The Light separates.
Come, loving God. Come, holy Creator and Redeemer. Come, Holy Spirit of God, who draws us to the Father, joins us to Christ, and brings into being what we could never accomplish for ourselves.
Shine upon us, God.
Shine into us.
Shine to the marrow, into the deepest and most guarded places, until there is such clarity that I may never again say, “I do not see. I had never seen.”
You have seen me, God. You have always seen me. Now give me the courage to see what You reveal.
Separate within me the light from the darkness, truth from deception, holy longing from corrupted appetite, worship from habit, and obedience from good intention.
Separate me unto Yourself, all merciful God.
Create in me a holy temple, lovingly designed as Your dwelling place. Purge me. Cleanse me. Repair me. You are most welcome in every room I have kept closed, and consecrate it for Yourself.
Do not merely shine upon me, dear God.
Enter me.
Remain with me.
Dwell in me.
Before I could search for You, Your Light searched for me. Before I could speak Your name, Your voice called me from the darkness. Before my eyes could see, You had already prepared the Light by which I would find my way home.
I walked in darkness.
Upon me the Light has shone.
I say yes, 1000 times, to your light.
Now, loving God, separate me unto Yourself and make my life a dwelling place for Your glory.
Amen.
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