1 John_1
Scripture: 1John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
Observation-What does it say? Though it is not labeled directly, the authorship of this letter is attributed to the apostle John. The style and authoritative tone are strikingly similar to that in the fourth gospel. In this letter, John addresses ideas and philosophies that were creeping into the church. Much like today, the church was facing pressures from outside groups to incorporate things that were contrary to the gospel. On top of that, some of those who were the most vocal of making these changes had abandoned the regular meetings, proposing that their spirituality had progressed beyond this.
Understanding-What does it mean? I took an art history class once, which was both fun and highly frustrating. Some of the “opinions” of the meanings of different pieces of art, and the time periods they were made in, were swayed by the political and moral leanings of both the professor and the author of the text. But I digress. In the class we discussed the modern art movement and “art for art’s sake.” The major theme in the modern art movement, which started in the late 19th century and carries through today, was the autonomy of art and the artists freedom of expression. In other words, the art only needs to be an expression of the artist to be art, there was no longer the need to have any quality or mastery of form.
And so, without any attention paid to form, purpose and true meaning, we are left with a cheap imitation of true art. Where art was once defined by pieces like the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo, we now see art in the form of “Lipstick urinals” https://collections.lacma.org/node/177865. Similarly, we can experience the same cheapening in life when our focus is drawn away from truth.
The Christmas season used to be depressing for me, and for many it still is. When the season is separated from the hope brought into the world through the birth of the messiah, we are left with celebrating for celebration sake. The focus is then put on the presents and food, which always left me searching for more. But when we remember that the birth of Jesus is where our hope begins, we can continue to celebrate on through the year and into eternity of the wonders of the love which Jesus showed to us. In this time of the year, I am looking to celebrate the only one who “dwells in unapproachable light” (1 Timothy 6:13-16).
Life Application: Jesus, thank you for coming to earth in the form of a man. Thank you that you took on the weight of my sin by dying on the cross. Thank you for making me complete. Help me to always return my focus to you, the true light.
-Tyler Galloway