Scripture: John 8:12
Jesus spoke to the people again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me won’t walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
Thought for the Day: Coming off last weekend’s theme Fuel the Fire, I was intrigued by something our Board Chair, John Basel, told me. Recently, John finished teaching a Sunday study on the Gnostic Gospels, and he referenced a book entitled: The Gospel of Thomas, Annotated & Explained. In the book, the author wrote…
The Jesus of Thomas is not a peacemaker;
he is an incendiary of love,
a pyromaniac of divine passion,
announcing the laws of a transformed world
and of the enormous struggles,
sacrifices, and sufferings,
both internal and external,
necessary to engender it.
In John’s Gospel, Jesus is referred to as the light of the world, yet so often we think from the perspective of 21st century people where light comes from a bulb. It might get warm, but unless we are changing it, we never notice its heat. Light for first century people was almost always associated with fire and thermal energy. If Jesus is the light of the world, then maybe the author gets it right when he describes Jesus as an incendiary of love and the pyromaniac of divine passion. When Jesus is followed and emulated, things will heat up!
Prayer: May the incendiary power of your love, O God, burn within me a fire capable of removing all that is unhealthy and unhelpful, while also providing light for my path forward. Amen.
WEDNESDAY STUDY
Remember-
Moving to the Annex Building
(New floors in the Activity Room)
