Just Around The Corner....

[Image: Eglon, 2012, DCJohanson]

¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ¹² For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

The image is another fine capture by my friend Dave Johanson. The actual file title includes the word "god" in it, but his accompanying notes did not actually refer to anything spiritual, and the title was not self-explanatory.

I don't think anyone walking with him that day, in the cool quiet of the gathering stillness and seeing the near horizontal rays illuminating the path ahead "just beyond the bend" could help but feel a sense of "otherness", the root idea of "holy." Going from darkness to light in characteristic of religious thinking and is not solely confined to Christianity but the manner of achieving "light" definitely is.

This photo communicates "anticipation." There is a brilliant moment in our immediate future. We reach that bend in our path and we will see the world and all that is in it with increased clarity. Our vision will not be obscured by the shadow producing objects around us. We will not be hindered by the elevated horizon over which we cannot peer. No, there will come a moment when all that is behind us and in the soft, warm but totally brilliant light that shines on us and all about us, we will see that which during our walk we were not able to see.

Christians understand this, in contrast to other religions, as being an experience, an illumination, a transtion of some kind (no word is quite precise enough to fully communicate it) that is external to ourselves and beyond our ability to bring about. Peter says that, as a "chosen generation" we have been "called out of darkness and into His glorious light." What is emphasized here is God's sovereignty and mercy on us. We who possess some light, who walk this path we are on, encompassed by shadows but still with our path illuminated before us, should understand that the very light we have is a gift of God, an unmerited bestowal of grace, and yet, it is not the fullness of light that yet awaits. All other religions and philosophies put man in the driver seat in the attainment of light. Christians understand it as a gift of God which is a downpayment on more to come.

Now we see as through a one-way mirror... only dimly perceiving what is on the other side. But there is a day, yet to come, when with blinding certainty our eyes will see and our minds will comprehend and our hearts will rejoice in vistas presently hidden. We will know even as we are known. The God who called us out of darkness and into His light will no longer remain hidden from our physical sight. We who love Him whom we cannot see (1 Pet 1:8) will see Him and rejoice. Others will see Him and mourn. But there is a day pressing down upon us, it is just around the bend, when the light will fully illuminate us all. That is the truth and that makes the path ahead of us, no matter how difficult it may be, well worth walking.