"That was the true light, which enlightens every man coming into the world." (John 1:9)
God has given to every person a light to guide his way. This light shines in good people and bad people, in people of all religions and people who have no religious belief, in people who feel they are saved and in those who feel they are lost. Nobody is ever so lost as not to have a glimmer of light. It is always close at hand. Even in the darkest and most confusing situation, there is a right way to go, and the light will show it.
The light shows us what is right and what is wrong. It doesn't depend on what we may have been taught by other people, or read in books, or figured out according to some philosophy or plan we might have. When we have light, we can just see that some actions are right, or wrong. For instance, we can see that we ought not to tell a lie, even though our minds might come up with all sorts of plausible excuses for lying.
The light is pure. Its home is in the conscience and not in the seat of emotion. It comes from above and is called the light of truth, or the light of Christ.
"While you have light, believe in the light, that you may become children of the light." (John 12:36)
To follow the light you must start where you are, and take one step at a time. Don't expect to see a long way ahead. Even if you feel you have a vision of things to come, that is not the place to put your attention. Right now, there is something you should do, because it is right -- or stop doing, because it is wrong. It might be something very small.
The light shows us what we ought to do: we can either obey it or disobey it. When we obey, we feel a sense of peace and inner comfort, and our lives are brought into God's harmony. Each step taken in obedience leads to our being given more light.
If we disobey the light we feel guilty and uneasy. Stubborn disobedience leads to less light, and to a life out of harmony with God and our neighbor. It is never worthwhile, for no matter how attractive are the things we gain by wrongdoing, we will not get to keep them, and we will hurt ourselves and others.
"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never overcome it." (John 1:5)
Sometimes, people run away from the light. They feel they don't want to know what is right, for fear it should turn out to be something too hard for them to do. Perhaps they have read something, or listened to somebody who has strong ideas of his own about what is right, and for fear of being controlled, they shut their minds against the questions that have been raised. This is not a very satisfactory solution, because the questions keep nagging in the back of your head.
It is much better to sit down quietly and wait in the light that is always shining. Ask God to show you the truth. It may take a long time to get really clear on some questions, but there is always enough light for the day. And when you trust the light, giving up to follow wherever it leads, you will learn something wonderful and surprising:
The thing the light commands is never too hard! Often, the things you were so afraid you would have to do turn out not to be required at all. Or, it may be that you do have to do it -- but it turns out to be much easier than you had thought. You come to love the thing that God commands, and you no longer really want the things you have to give up. When we are very much attached to some wrong thing, it is hard to believe that that attachment could ever die -- but it can, because God has the power to kill it. This power is called the cross of Christ, and it is available for the asking.
"Again Jesus spoke to the people, saying, 'I am the light of the world. No follower of mine shall wander in the dark; he shall have the light of life.'" (John 8:12)
To some minds it is strange to think that the very light of God could have become a man and walked the earth. They ask, "What about people who have never heard of Jesus?" Or they may find it hard to believe that he rose from the dead as the scriptures claim, and that it is his own voice that speaks within us to teach us the way.
You can follow the light before you know the answers to these questions -- provided your mind is open and you want to learn the truth about them. For the light loves truth and leads into truth. It hates all deception, including the selfdeception of being too attached to our own ideas about things. Even the things we have learned from the light itself, we should be willing to resubmit to it from time to time, in case we have made a mistake. For the light is a patient and gentle teacher -- it does not mind reconfirming what it once has taught. The confidence it seeks is not the arrogant confidence of the dogmatist who is always saying "I know this" and "I know that," but rather the confidence of faithfulness. It wants the kind of disciples who would go to prison or death rather than disobey even one of its commands, but who will meekly reopen any question at a brother's request.
"If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another..." (1 John 1:7)
When a person aims to bring his whole life under the direction of the light, he longs for the fellowship of other people who share this same commitment. This fellowship cannot be set up in mans will, but the light can create a sense of kinship among its disciples, and guide them in giving it ordered expression. A unique sort of community thus comes into being -- one which receives its corporate guidance from the light, even as its individual members receive theirs.
Friends of Truth is one such community, but we do not claim to be the only one. There are many reasons why Christ's disciples do not find one another all at once. Different groups may have light on different things -- and a seeker will need the guidance of God to know which one he should join -- but the light is one, and brings those who follow it ever closer together. Someday we will all be in unity.
Licia Kuenning
Friends of Truth