Last week was Halloween with its emphasis on the ‘dark side’ to borrow a phrase from Star Wars. This week’s Bible Notes offer a contrast by looking at the theme of Light.
Genesis 1:1-5 NIVUK
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 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.
3 And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light ‘day’, and the darkness he called ‘night’. And there was evening, and there was morning – the first day.
The first act of God according to the Bible was to utter the famous words ‘let there be light’. Light not only helps us to see and provides the rich array of colour that we know and love through which most of us perceive the world, but is vital for life. Without it photosynthesis couldn’t occur. Without photosynthesis the whole web of life as we know it disintegrates. Perhaps these words also represent God’s gift of energy. Without energy, we have and are nothing, but with it astonishing things are possible. No wonder God looked and saw it was good. As a scientist, the idea that God’s gift is so utterly fundamental thrills me!
Lord thank you for the gift of energy, especially light, which gives us life and enables us to see and appreciate the riches of your handiwork in the world around us.
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