Apparently tonight we are in for a treat. The full moon will loom large upon the horizon, it's supposed to be one of the best chances to see it in such a manner. We are incredibly blessed too, because normally the wonderful British weather blocks out all the funky astronomical stuff.
Even from my early days, I have often seen the moon as an allegory for what Christians should be like. The moon is there for the Earth, to provide a little light when the Sun is not there... yet it has no light of it's own, only that which the Sun casts on it. Truly the Sun is greater because it also bathes this planet in warmth.
In the same way, Christians are called to be light to this world... to shine in the darkness, to show people the power and the true nature of light, when they cannot see it for themselves. Yet, we too do not have a light of our own... only that which God provides us through our relationship with him, and that light is far better than anything we give out, because in that light there is also warmth. Other gods or idols are like distant stars, they may appear to be made of the same stuff... but in comparison to the Lord, they are distant, far off and incapable of giving us the warmth in our souls that God himself longs t grant us.
Something new has occurred to me with regard to this... I have gained new insight. The full moon is only visible when the face of the moon is fully exposed to the Sun. If it is caught in the shadow of Earth, the light it receives and gives out is diminished. We need to be mindful of where we are in the night sky. We need to make sure we are fully exposed to God, that people may see his presence in us. We are ambassadors of light.
Funnily enough, when I was at college, they nicknamed me Lunarboy... perhaps they knew something about me!
A little about people and light... for further meditation and reflection (pun partially intended):
"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."" - John 8:12
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:14-16
"Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God." - John 1:3-13
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." - John 3:16-22
May God bring light to our path, and may we have the courage to step into it when the time comes.
God bless
Nick
Sleeping in Light (Sorry had to squeeze a B5 pun in)
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