The Light of the World

by Doug Floyd

I’ve heard people say that we can remain silent and appear to be wise. I did that once.
But usually my mouth exposes the illusion of the silent sage.

One Christmas I had to remain silent. Four months into graduate school, and I lost my
job. Scrambling for work in late November landed me a “wise man” gig. I joined a
procession of wise men as we circled the manger with Mary, Joseph, shepherds, sheep,
and a camel.

The work was easy. We stood there silent, night after night, gazing at the baby Jesus.
Our living nativity revealed a contemplative picture of silent adoration. From porcelain
figurines to paintings to life models, most all nativities are the very image of quiet
resignation.

Leonaert Bramer challenges this contemplative repose in his early 17th century painting,
“Adoration of the Magi.” Like several medieval nativities, the only light in the painting
bursts out from the babe in the manger, reminding us that we are all in the darkness
beholding the Light of the World.
Instead of transcendent calm, Bramer’s Nativity reveals the onlookers visibly agitated,
possibly even terrified. One wise man covers his eyes with both hands. Other wise men
lift their arms to shield against the blistering light. Joseph’s mouth hangs open in awe
and possibly even dread. Even Mary appears somewhat distraught.

The Light of God’s Word breaks into this dark world with piercing exposure like the light
of the noonday sun. The babe in the manger lays bare the darkness of our blind eyes.

Paul beholds this blinding light that gives sight, and he never recovers. Even as he
stumbles toward Damascus, he beholds the Lord of Glory with new eyes. The same
glory that burned on Moses’ face, burns in Paul’s heart, shining ever brighter till the full
light of day. Paul encourages all the people of God that we are moving from glory to
glory as Christ continues to reveal His Light upon us and within us.

In Bramer’s painting, he captures this wonderful, woeful, glorious Light of God shining
upon us through Jesus. He captures the words of John’s Gospel, “And the Word
became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son
from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
During Advent, we watch for the coming of the Word Made Flesh. We watch for the
glory of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. In His light, we see light.
Outside of the Incarnation, we would be forever blind to the mercy and grace of God.

We would be the people of the dark eyes who see only darkness. What do I mean by
darkness?

In one sense, darkness is a loss of vision. This loss of vision is an inability to perceive
light. As a person perceives less and less light, he sees less and less. There may come
a point, when he sees only shadows, and eventually he may see nothing.

In this limited description of blindness, we encounter the darkening impact of corruption

as depicted in Romans 1. At first, the human vision is closed to the Creator who
revealed his eternal power and divine nature in the things that have been made. As
humanity turned a blind eye to the truth of God, we worshipped creation rather than the
Creator.

Our field of vision closed in upon this world, and our hearts became dark. Once the
blinding corruption of dark closed out the Light of God, human vision closed in upon
itself. Soon we could no longer see beyond our own personal world. All other people, all
creation was seen through the lens of our problems, our desires, our hurts, our needs.

This self-consuming blindness could only result in envy, murder, strife, hatred, deceit,
maliciousness, gossip, slander, hatred toward God and man, pride, disobedience,
foolishness, faithlessness, heartlessness, and ruthlessness. The evil we notice in the
other men and women, corrupts us as well. Outside of God’s grace, all of us face the
horror of absolute selfishness.

Unchecked, this selfishness is the most terrifying image in the universe. C.S. Lewis
once said that we may grumble so much, we simply become the grumble with nothing
left. Losing all openness toward human relation, we would tumble inward, damned in a
perverse spiral of unending selfishness.

Into this darkening spiral of blinding selfishness, the Light of God shines. The Word
Made Flesh pierces the dark blindness of humanity, revealing the brilliant vision of
God’s Love between Father, Son and Spirit.

Bramer’s nativity painting reveals this awesome Light in terrifying wonder. As we behold
Jesus Christ the Word Made Flesh, we behold the Light of the World. In the Light of
Christ, we see again. In Christ, we are freed from the dread slavery of selfishness. We
are freed to the joyous freedom of a love that opens to God and keeps opening to the
people and the world around us.
As the Lord of Glory heals our eyes, we begin to behold His wonder all around us. Even
in the weak and stumbling people, we might learn to rejoice in the great and wondrous
grace of God shining out from people He created for His glory.

Might we look to the server in the restaurant and rejoice in the hospitality of God? Might
we look to the Police Officer and praise God for His unfailing justice? Might we behold
our co-workers and give glory to the Lord who invites us to co-labour in His fields?

Might we follow Jesus as He eats with Zaccheus, offers water to the woman at the well,
embraces the little children and kneels alongside the woman caught in adultery? Might
we have eyes to see the glory of God all around us?

During this advent, I would pray that we might all play the sage by silencing our tongues
that focus on the worst in the other people and the problems all around us. May we
simply gather at the nativity with wise men as we circle the manger alongside Mary,
Joseph, the shepherds, the sheep, and a camel.

May we behold Light of Glory who breaks into our dark world, healing our blind eyes,
our black heart, and our fiery tongues. In beholding, may we come to know the Lord
who frees us from prisons of selfishness to behold the wonder of His Glory in the midst
of His world, and praise Him from whom all blessings flow.