God is present and active in our lives!

“…people preferred darkness to light.” (John 3:19)   They preferred their own sins to freedom from sin.  It appears to me that we still do.

As an example of this reality, all we have to do is watch the news or read the newspaper.  It seems that 90% of what is reported in the news media is a sensationalistic presentation of darkness.  We hear of one murder after another or one scandal after another.  The more positive news during this virus pandemic is always relegated to a back page or the bottom of an article, while the death count and ‘blame game’ is always front page—because it’s what sells.  Because we too often are drawn to darkness more than we are to light. 

Certainly, it’s not the case for everyone.  So many are quite disinterested in the darkness of the world and the sensationalistic sins all around us.  You can count me among them.  But the fact that the darkness of evil is so front and center all the time should offer us a certain warning about our fallen human nature.  We tend to be drawn into mud and too often are all too happy there.

Easter is a time to examine what it is we are drawn to, and to let ourselves be drawn into the Light; to be attracted by those things that brighten our day.  To be drawn to the many ways that God is present and active in the world all around us.  We’ll probably find out that there’s some degree of pull toward disorder, sin, and darkness.  There can be an interior conflict that everyone experiences.  It’s good to be aware of this, to identify it as part of our fallen human tendency, and to seek to shed all interest in the chaos and evil all around us. 

As a follower of Christ, we are called to keep our eyes on Him and on Him alone.  We are called to penetrate the darkness with our faith and to let our whole being be attracted to and drawn toward Christ Jesus.  Perfection means that even our passions and desires are ultimately drawn to Christ as the Light of our life.

The three most beautiful words in the English language are “I love you.”  The next three most beautiful words are “I forgive you.”  These sentences go together. 

Forgiveness is an intrinsic part of love.  This is expressed well by Ruth Bell Graham who said, “A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers.”  The core of marriage is love, and that necessarily includes forgiveness.  You can’t have one without the other.

In the gospel we hear those familiar words, “God so loved the world that he sent his only Son…that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16)   Jesus was sent to forgive.  Before Jesus was born Joseph was told in a dream to name the child ‘Jesus,’ “for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

On Calvary the apostles let Jesus down.  All but John abandoned Him.  When Jesus appeared to the apostles after the resurrection, He could have said, “What a disappointment you guys are.  Where were you in my hour of need?  I’m going back to Galilee, round up a new ‘posse’ and try again.”

But Jesus didn’t say that.  Instead He said, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19)  They were forgiven.  They were given a second chance.  The apostles rejoiced not only because Jesus was alive, but because He was alive and forgave them.  Now they in turn could proclaim reconciliation and lavish God’s forgiveness because they experienced it firsthand.

God so loved the world that He sent His loving forgiveness.