Friends,

Here is Common Christianity column #822 (8-16-22), “Night Sweats.” The moon has a purpose but no life … kind of like us without Jesus. See the column below or on social media. 

Have a great week!  Blessings, Bob

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Spirituality Column #822

August 16, 2022

Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary

Night Sweats

By Bob Walters

“I am the light of the world …” – Jesus in John 8:12, speaking to the Pharisees who promptly called Him a liar in verse 13.

Central Indiana was fortunate this past week to offer the canvas of a wondrously clear August evening upon which to paint the year’s biggest and brightest full moon.

I like the moon, especially a full moon.  Along with what I’d bet constitutes the bulk of the thinking human race, the pall of God’s “second light” tantalizingly strokes some of my deepest notions of mystery, romance, life’s possibilities, peace, and rest.

It may just be a “big rock in the sky” to some.  For souls kindred to mine, it’s romance. For some, the moon holds an odd power over emotions, yearnings, and, shall we say, rash actions.  First responders and hospital staffs prefer to have the night off.

Despite how the poetic spectacle of a bright full moon may nudge our life’s passions, what we do know about the moon, scientifically, is that there’s nothing about the moon that could be called, in and of itself, “life.”  We make the moon whatever we imagine it to be symbolically, but basically it is a big dead light reflector and gravity field generator that helps make life on earth possible.  So yes, the moon can be seen, takes up space, and has a purpose, but alone the moon has no life.

With that, let’s make a few points about the light, power, and life of Jesus.

Here, we don’t need the moon.  We need the sun.

C.S. Lewis noted famously that though the human eye cannot actually see the sun because of its blinding light, the sun – like Jesus – is the light by which we see everything else, including the moon.  People dispute the reality of Jesus because like the sun, they say, “I can’t see Him,” yet no one denies the sun is there.

We may be enamored by the moon, but human life and purpose are more than reflection. Add a capital letter and switch out the vowel so “sun” becomes “Son” and we graduate beyond the luminary science of sunshine and reflection and into the truth of who and what lights the lives we live – Jesus – and how we are part of that light. 

The moon reflects but does not generate light.  Though one could argue that humans merely reflect the image of God in creation and so are no more alive than the moon, God’s image does far more than reflect off of or through humanity.

God’s image in us gives us the very light Jesus came to reveal and assure: to both receive God in faith and share God’s love with others.  That is the light that we ourselves generate in the power of Jesus.  Without it, we are dead … like the moon.

I never worry about whether I’m alone in the night of a purposeless existence because I was created in the image of someone else.  Jesus tells us that the true light of our existence is sharing the same purpose He has – to love God and love each other.

So, if one is rattled by a dim reflection in the spiritual dark, don’t sweat it.

Instead, light the true, bright, and powerful light of Jesus.  That is life.  No lie.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com), when gazing at a clear full moon, will tell anyone who happens to be nearby to look for “the bunny in the moon.”  Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. (Don and Trish … this one’s for you.><>)