Summer is here! The weather is warmer, the sun is shining, and the days are longer. We have more daylight in the month of June than we do during any other month of the year. Every night when it’s time to put my children to bed, they are adamant that it can’t be bedtime yet because the sun is still up. There are still games to play, snacks to eat, and fun things to do. And if the sun is still shining, well, why waste an opportunity?
I can hardly blame them; I appreciate the longer days too. I personally much prefer driving home with the sun still in the sky to driving home in the dark. The sun shining seems to hold implicit promise regarding all that the day might yet hold. All the good that might be done. All the joy that might lay ahead.
In the same way, there are things in our lives that seem to bring them life and light. That summer vacation, success at work, the people we love. Things that give us joy and hope. Things that bring light to our lives. But the sun still always sets. There is a limitation to the alleged promises offered by these longer days; my children know they can only stall bedtime for so long. The vacation ends. People let us down. No matter the length of the day, there’s always a point when the light fades and the day ends.
And yet there is one light for which this doesn’t hold true. The Apostle John tells us that there is a light that “shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (1:5). There is a light that does not die, but instead overcomes darkness. While the apparent promises of these June days are themselves limited by the amount of time the sun is in the sky, this light has no such limitation.
And this light makes promises, too. Elsewhere in John’s Gospel, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (8:12). Jesus makes a promise to you. A promise regarding what living in the light of Christ means: life in Him for you.
This light is always found where Jesus is. And even when other sources of light in our lives grow dim, Christ will never fail. And so, my prayer for you is that we would follow Christ together, walking in the light. That we as His church would follow Christ into all the good we might accomplish together and all the joy that is up ahead. And, as we together follow Him, may we be filled with confidence knowing that the promise will never be broken. The light of Christ will never end and it shines for you.
Summer Rose Garden Services
At Trinity’s choir camp, kids will learn about God and worship through singing, moving, and playing instruments! Crafts and snacks will be provided and a final presentation and lunch provided for families on the last day. Camp is for kids ages 4 (potty trained) through completed Grade 6. Kids’ Choir Camp is free for participants, and registration is now open! Register by July 14th to guarantee a shirt!
