HOPE TRIUMPHS
A LIGHT SHINING IN THE DARKNESS
The darkness of the world is sin, death, and misery. Image credit: ARTAWKRN on Unsplash.
By MARCO VAN RENSSEN
Every man-made light will go out eventually, unless there is someone to take care of it.
A tea candle only lasts about 2-5 hours. If you leave it burning when you go to sleep, it will die before you wake up. LED lights are much stronger. They can go up to 5 years of constant burning before they flicker out!
In nature, however, we find ever-burning flames that have been going for far longer. In some places, natural flames have been burning for thousands of years. One such flame is in Chestnut Ridge Park near Buffalo in New York.
Visible through the curtain of a waterfall, there burns an eternal flame. We do not know how the eternal flame was first lit, or how long it has been burning.
That kind of mystery captures the human imagination. Like a vigil standing watch over the world, this flame burns on. Even when nobody is watching, it is there. At night, during a storm, or on a frosty morning, the eternal flame burns.
Marco van Renssen is a student of Reverend Tony Zekveld of Hope Centre, Brampton.
Yet, while the eternal flame is fascinating, we should not think that it has really been burning forever. All things have a beginning, and in fact, the flame sometimes goes out and is relit by visitors. It does not burn by a supernatural power, but by a constant trickle of gas that is escaping from the earth.
Jesus once walked in the candle-lit streets of a festival and said, “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).
The darkness of the world is sin, death, and misery. We hate sin, and yet we love it. We want to escape it, and yet we can’t. This is because the darkness is also inside us. A candle that has died cannot relight itself.
That is why God showed mercy and sent a Light into the world, and that Light is Jesus Christ. Why is Jesus Christ the light of the world? He defeated sin, death, and despair, and offers life and hope to anyone who comes to Him. Like a light in a dark place, Jesus offers us hope even in the greatest darkness. When we put our faith and trust in Him, He takes us out of the darkness and brings us into His wonderful light.
If you want to talk more, feel free to phone or text Reverend Tony Zekveld (“call me Pastor Tony”) at Hope Centre at 416-740-0543. His email is hopecentre@primus.ca and website: www.hopecentrebrampton.com.