Obliteration

Today I took a very short walk after dark.  Before I left my apartment, I had in mind the picture I wanted in order to convey today’s message.  It didn’t work; but yet, it did.  The picture I took gave me an “ah ha” moment!

The first picture you should see is of a dynamic cross my friend Linda gave me to hang in my window to give hope to people passing by.  That it does!  The picture was taken from inside my apartment.  It’s cool how the church across the street is in the center of the cross, just as Christ’s church in the world is centered in the cross. 

Well, I wanted to get a picture after dark of the cross from the outside, so tonight I walked across the street to take a shot of the cross from in front of that church. A few evenings ago I tried it with the lights out in my apartment.  It did not come out as I wanted.  So, tonight I turned all my lights on and then walked over there. Guess what?  The picture came out exactly the same.  It is the second picture you should see.

As I walked back up the three flights of stairs to my apartment, I was a bit sad. Then this thought came to me:  the light of God’s love for us obliterates the cross!  The cross, the instrument of Jesus’ death, can’t even be seen due to the overpowering nature of God’s love for us!  

In John 8:12 Jesus said:  “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  Read that again!  He said I am the light of the world.  He did not say that his cross was the light of the world, but that he is the light of the world!  It is not the cross we focus on, it’s Christ!  It’s God!  It’s the amazing grace we receive day in and day out that makes us truly free even when quarantined. Now that is truly hope!