Psalm 36 -- John 10:22-30
"For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light." -- Psalm 36:9
I'm fascinated by this scripture. I can't seem to grasp it's meaning, and yet I'm drawn to it. With you is the fountain of life. In your light, we see light. Sometimes when I'm drawn to a scripture, I read it over and over again--emphasizing different words each time. To emphasize with and in, it becomes about location, geography. With you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. This time it's about God and us. It's about relationship. With you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. Here it becomes about truth and about our response to the truth. With you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. To emphasize the is to change the pronunciation of the, to say this fountain is the only fountain--or at least the only fountain that matters. With you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. To focus on fountain brings forth all sorts of images of fountains--an eternal flow of water, springing up, falling on the water below, creating waves and movement and beauty. Bringing about a sense of peace in the midst of rhythm and chaos and noise. With you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. Life. It's the stuff we're made of--breath and blood and creativity and conversation and contemplation. With you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. In this light, we get it. In the light of God, we see it. We see light. It's an epiphany. When we see things through the filter of God's light, we see light.
John Wesley said of this scripture: "Life - It is in God as in a fountain, and from him is derived to us. But - Of that glorious and blessed, and endless life, which alone is worthy of the name. Light - In the light of thy glorious presence, which shall be fully manifested, when we see thee face to face. Light - Joy and comfort, and happiness: the word light is elegantly repeated in another signification; in the former clause it is light discovering, in this light, discovered or enjoyed."
We can become overburdened by everyday, ordinary life--deadlines, expectations of others, commitments, poverty, injustice, dreams and goals. Yet when we begin to filter our world with the light of God, we are no longer living in darkness. "In your light, we see light." That's hope. That's the fountain of life--the moving, constant, eternal, life.
1 comment:
In your light we see light...
Since the fall we make judgements based on our knowledge and of what we think is good or evil. We see in part and know in part...that's why God calls us to love (and not to judge). When we see through God's eyes, in His light, we see truly how things are and not just the way they appear...which is most often deceiving.
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