The Brilliant Star

 " BELOVED : We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of His Majesty. For He received honor and glory from God the Father when that unique declaration came to Him from the majestic glory.
"This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased."
We ourselves heard this voice come from Heaven while we were with Him on the holy mountain. Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as a lamb shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts." -- [ 2 Peter 1:16-19.]


In Genesis 1, the earth is created from Light, in order to vanquish the Darkness.-- "In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, "Let there be Light", and there was Light. --[ Genesis 1:1-3].

In the Gospel of John, "The Word (Christ) was in the beginning. The Word was with God. The Word was God. He (Jesus) was with God in the beginning. He made all things. Nothing was made without Him making it. Life began by Him. His life was the Light for men. The Light shines in the darkness. The darkness has never been able to put out the Light." -[John 1:1-5].

There are actually persons who would call themselves Christians AND Scientists. There is today a small cadre of scientists who quietly believe that, even before the Big Bang, there must have been a Grand Consciousness that initiated the Big Bang, and the whole of Creation. In other words, before a Bang, there must be a Spark.

There are those deniers who would argue that Christianity is based on myth and fairy tales. But even reading through the poetic language of the Biblical Creation story, there is a definitive moment of Creation, and a Grand Consciousness present from the beginning of time.

The Creation Story in John has been called a story of Infinity-- The Word was in the beginning. Jesus was with God in the beginning. "Christ became human and lived among us." Jesus returned to His Father. And so, as children of God, we may return to Him and to His Son.

We see in John 1, a clear and uninterrupted lineage -- "This true Light came into this world. He gave the right and power to become children of God to those who received Him. He gave this to those who put their trust in His name." --[John 1: 10-12.]

In 2 Peter, therefore, Peter is able to say: "Beloved: We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of His majesty [at the Transfiguration]. For He received honor and glory from God the Father when that unique declaration came to Him from the majestic Glory: 'This is my Son with whom I am well pleased.' We ourselves heard this voice come from Heaven while we were with Him on the holy mountain." -[2 Peter 1:16-19].

From eyewitness accounts came oral testimony, which became the Word, written down in the best-selling Book of all time.

You could say in our times, WHY do we care?

Well. . . Everyone knows how much darkness there is STILL in the world. I would venture to say that every human being on our planet spends his or her life battling dark things-- greed, jealousy, lust, hate, worship of self [narcissism], bitterness. .

On a global scale, we have hunger, war, dictatorship, violence, consumerism, racism. . .

When I was a little girl, there was enough darkness in my home to swallow you up whole, and spit you out. Looking back, I can see that I was not in the midst of a loving family. No! --I was in a Cold War. Deep space cold. . . Bitterness, envy, materialism, narcissism, hate, greed, binge drinking, anxiety, rebellion, impatience, revenge, blackmail, distrust, lack of faith, excess of self gratification.

My young life was just like the world before Creation - - " an empty waste and darkness over deep waters." -- [Genesis 1: 2]. Our home was closed off. The windows were shrouded in layers of shades, under curtains and heavy drapes. My mother used to say, "What happens in this house, STAYS within these four walls." --This struck Fear in my heart.

I surely could have used a little Light!

God Himself promises us, though, that "This true Light (Jesus), coming into the world, gives Light to every man. Christ became human flesh and lived among us. We saw His shining greatness." -- -[John 1: 9-14]. " AND the light shines in the darkness. The darkness has never been able to put out the Light ." - [ John 1: 5.]

And, as Jesus GIVES light to every man, then WE must BECOME the Light.

St. Paul ( the Saint who saved my Life) said in Ephesians 5: 7-14, "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in Love. Therefore, do not be partakers with (immoral ones deceiving you with empty words), for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light. And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret."

As witnessed in the Transfiguration, as Jesus IS the Light; so, I strive to escape the darkness and thereby to BE the Light.

FOR, "We possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your heart."

[Related Postings:"Transfigured", 2/22/16; "This is My Son", 3/16/14; "Transfiguration of Christ", 3/5/12.]

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