December 29, 2014
(Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas)
St. John said, “Beloved: The way we may be sure that we know Jesus is to keep his commandments. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him.” 1 Jn 2:3-11
And His commandments are to love God and to love one another (our neighbor). John goes on to say that whoever has any hatred in their heart for their neighbor is living in darkness and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded their sight.
Funny, there’s an old Manfred Mann song from the mid 70’s called “Blinded by the Light” (written by Bruce Springsteen). It’s one of my old favorites!
It brings me immediately back to the blizzard of ’76 in Buffalo, New York, where I was doing graduate work that year. There was so much snow, that we were literally blinded by its brightness. But John is talking about a different kind of blindness. John is talking about being blinded by the dark.
Sometimes, beloved, the hatred within us can be so blinding that we can’t even see the good when it stares us in the face. So maybe that’s a good time to “chill out.” Remember the cold and the snow and the blizzards that can be so life-threatening, and allow them to freeze out of us all the darkness of hatred. Open the windows of our lives to the LIGHT.
Jesus IS that light. And when we live as He modeled for us to live, we will be living in the light, His light, the light of peace, and hope, and love for all.
__________________end of post
Whispers to the Wind 