WALKING INTO LIGHT

Proverbs 4.18-19
WALKING INTO LIGHT
The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. (4.18)

THE CONVERSION OF ST AUGUSTINE OF Hippo is one of the momentous events in the history of the church. In 386 AD, while meditating in a garden in Milan, he read the words of Paul in Romans 13.12-14: "The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.... Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery...." He describes in his Confessions:

"l needed to read no further. Instantly, as I reached the end of the sentence, all the darkness of my former doubts was dispelled, as if a clear and insistent light had flooded my heart. I must turn from the old; I must put on the new; and I must do it now. "

No wonder a contemporary account of Augustine's journey to faith bears the title, Walking Into Light. The picture of light provides a vivid illustration of our relationship with the Lord. Darkness is dispelled when we come in faith to him. No longer are we groping in uncertainty and bondage. Now we see clearly, and move freely. "When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble" (v. 12).

But note also that the light is a growing light. It begins as "the first gleam of dawn," and grows brighter and brighter till it reaches the fullness of day. Our walk of faith is not a dying candle, its light waning. Nor is it a shooting star, dazzling for a moment and gone the next. Our faith is the steady radiance of the sun whose unfolding splendour brings joy and life to all in increasing measure.

Darkness is static. Light on the other hand is alive and dynamic. We can appreciate the analogy in a number of ways. As children of light, we see things more clearly as we go along. At dawn, the trees are shadowy. We do not understand everything we see. It may be a difficult passage of Scripture, or an unfortunate turn of events in life. Let us keep going as we wait for more light to come.

Furthermore, we may not always understand the path though we may walk in the light. "My feet had almost slipped.... For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked," cried the troubled psalmist (Psalm 73.2-3). Why should we tread along such a narrow track when there is an easier road to take? Time will tell, Solomon assures us. As dawn breaks into day, we will see clearly. We will see that it is the narrow path that leads to life. "Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father" (Matt 13.43).

Am I walking into light?