Living in the Light

I volunteered to teach Sunday School again.  My first lesson was about Lightness and Darkness.  There are many references to light and dark in the Bible.  Regardless of your religious affiliations there is a lot of truth to the fact that many of  us  live in our own sort of darkness. 

So, what do I mean by Darkness?  It is not necessarily the physical absence of light, such as you would find on a cloudy, moonless night or in a windowless room.  Darkness is portrayed by many feelings such as sadness, depression, apathy, ignorance, guilt, selfishness, fear.  It can also be the innocent acceptance of other’s ideas.  For example, often on Facebook, ‘friends’ will post a comment about a current event.  A little research can prove whether this is a factual or fraudulent comment.  Are we that willing to accept what others say as Gospel or truth?  Why have we become so lazy in our lives?  Do we enjoy living in the darkness?  Are we not a more advanced society than we were 100 years ago?  If that is so, then why are there so much evil in the world?  Evilness is another form of Darkness.  

What does it mean to live in the light?  Once again it is not a sunny day or a room filled with many lamps.  Lightness comes from within, just as Darkness does.  You can recognize that Lightness is the opposite of Darkness.  

Lightness portrays itself as happiness, love,  empathy, respect, peace, joy, patience, gentleness, self-control.  I believe that life is much better when I live in the Light.  It is not easy to live in the Light.  In fact, for many, living in Darkness is easier.  It takes courage and effort to live in the Light.  I often tell my students that they need to ‘do the right thing’.  Living in the Light is like that, doing the right thing in every situation.  That may sound impossible to you.  In fact, it may well be impossible to do the right thing EVERY time.  Is it not worth the effort though?  I believe it is.  

2012 has been another challenging year for me.  I have dealt with a lot of happiness and quite a bit of sadness and frustration.  Through it all, I have persevered.  My efforts to live in the Light have been what pulled me through.  It is easy to sink into Darkness, but that is not where I want to be. 

Where are you?  Do you live in the Dark or the Light?  Is there where you want to be?