This week we’re starting a new series in the Book of John.

What happens when you shine a flashlight at a wall? If you’re using my cheap flashlight, nothing at first

because you must gently smack it to make it come on. But what eventually happens is you get a bright

spot on the wall where the light is shining. But how does the light get over there? Let’s do a quick

physics overview.

If you set up a certain type of experiment, you will conclude that light travels like it’s made of little

particles - imagine your flashlight is shooting little grains of sand at the wall, but instead of sand it’s light.

But if you set up a different type of experiment, you will conclude that light travels like it’s made of

waves - imagine support poles on a pier at the beach. Waves hit the poles and split, but then the

resultant waves will interact with each other and make a new pattern when they rejoin.

(Physicists spend much time studying things like this when they aren’t appearing in Far Side cartoons.)

To understand light, you must accept that it can somehow behave like two different things at the same

time.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1 HCSB)

Another way to understand light is to witness the effect that it has on the world, because where light

goes, darkness flees:

Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness

did not overcome it. (John 1:4-5 HCSB)

Physicists can (and should!) study light and other phenomena to help us understand God’s creation. As

Christians we can (and should!) contemplate the deep theological implications of the nature of God as

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But I don’t think we should ever expect to fully understand such things on

this side of eternity.

Even still, when we need wisdom, inspiration, or comfort, even though we cannot fully understand an

infinite God, we can still follow the Light.

But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in

His name, who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.

(John 1:12-13 HCSB)

By Mark Stuart

Mark is the husband of Laura, father of Shelby and Jacob, and father-in-law of Bailey.