Something happened during the Good Friday worship service that I found to be moving. Although it was completely unplanned, the timing couldn’t have been better. It happened during the long sequence of scripture readings that we know as the Passion of Christ. As I stood at the pulpit and began to read the scripture, I noticed that sunlight was coming through one of the windows on the west side of the sanctuary and shining directly on me. As I progressed through the narrative of Jesus’ trials and suffering, the light slowly faded as the sun set. By the time I got to the account of Jesus’ death, the sun was completely down and there was no longer any direct sunlight coming into the sanctuary. The fading of the sunlight during that service seemed to have been very fitting. The biblical account portrays a day when the power of human pride and hatred was overwhelming. Darkness certainly seems to have claimed a victory.
The darkness experienced on Good Friday helps to accentuate the contrast between that day and Easter morning. I don’t know what the sky looked like on that first Easter morning. Most of us probably imagine it to have been a beautiful morning, one where the sun rose majestically over the Mount of Olives. I think we do so because Easter is the day when light overcame darkness. In the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God claims victory over all the darkness of the world. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5 ESV). As dark as Good Friday may be, it always gives way to the light of Easter.
I find this to be encouraging, especially in a world where it seems that darkness has the upper hand. We are frequently reminded of the hate-filled work of groups like ISIS, who inflict death and destruction wherever they are able. We listen to the discourse of politicians and their constituents, often amazed at the boundless personal attacks and even physical violence engaged to gain an advantage over opponents. Often we cannot even have conversations around social issues without accusations of hate leveled at those who may disagree. I could go on mentioning many other symptoms, and they would all point to the same reality that this world is under a power of darkness.
Thanks be to God that there is light, and as the Church we are people of light. Our presence in the world should help to overcome darkness. As great as that task may seem, we know it is possible because we know the One who accomplishes it. Regardless of how it may feel, we live in a time when “the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining” (1 John 2:8). When we put our efforts into the ministries of the church, let us remember that we are doing so to participate in this work of spreading light and dispelling darkness. Some day God will bring this work to completion. Until then, remember that no darkness is powerful enough to overcome the light of God in Jesus Christ. Easter is our annual reminder of that.
The Winding Path 