Hope of the New Life

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 8:12

We woke up to find snow on the ground this Easter morning. The coronavirus pandemic means that we won’t go to church today as we normally would. The sky is gray and we’re all feeling just a little blah. It hasn’t been all gray and dreary lately though. Thankfully, we’ve had some nice days this spring, and despite the coronavirus, we’ve been able to get out and exercise some.

This last week, my daughter and I rode bike by our old place. As she fondly reminisced about growing up there, I realized that many of my own memories were tainted by my drug use at the time. Thankfully though, I was reminded of the stark contrast between then and now. I’ve lived in the darkness of addiction, but God has saved me from myself, so that I may now walk in the light. I’ve been given a second chance in which I can once again, make new, beautiful memories on a bike ride with my daughter.

This is the promise of Christ for all who will follow him. Because of the resurrection that we celebrate on Easter Sunday, we too, may turn from death to life and from darkness to light. We don’t have to live enslaved. In following Christ, we can find the freedom to abandon the old life, living in the hope and light of the new one.

The new life isn’t automatic though. Because of Christ’s death, God has forgiven us. Because of his resurrection, the new life is available to us. Our part though, as Jesus said in today’s passage, is to follow him into the light.

It’s the following that is problematic for most of us. We want the light of the new life, but following Christ isn’t easy. As long as we live in these flawed bodies with our self-destructive appetites, there is a part of us that likes the darkness. We’re still selfish, greedy, lustful, and full of pride. We want the new life in theory, but in practicality, we keep turning back to the old one.

This then, is our challenge. If we truly want to know the hope of the new life, walking in the light instead of the dark, we must daily do what it takes to abandon our way to follow Christ.