Epiphany is the season of light: the time in the Church’s calendar when Christ is revealed. The Church season takes place at the turn of the year, when the tilt of the world on its axis brings an increase of light, as the earth makes its annual pilgrimage around the sun. God’s creation begins with light, after all: with the Genesis proclamation, “Let there be light” (Gen. 1:2), spoken at the very beginning of Holy Scripture. The Gospel of John takes up the Genesis theme in its first chapter, with “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” (Jo. 1:5). For the Gospel writer John, Christ is the true light that fills the whole creation.
The prophets of the Old Testament bore witness to the same light. Last week we heard in our reading from Isaiah, “I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness” (Is. 42:6-7). Isaiah looks forward to the light that is to come into the world: to the prophet foretold who will announce the day of salvation. It’s the light of Christ that Isaiah proclaims: the one who, as it says in Luke’s Gospel, shines “on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death” (Lk. 1:79).
Isaiah returns to the theme of light in our first reading this morning: “I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth” (Is. 49:6). Here Isaiah places the emphasis on the light that is revealed to everyone: not just to the People of Israel, but “to the nations” as he says. Once again, we hear this echoed in the Gospel of John, in that first chapter: “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world” (Jo. 1:9). John comes back to the theme of light, embedded in the message of the prophets, as he proclaims the coming of Jesus Christ.
Light helps us to see. The same power that generates light can also provide warmth, which is why light and life are often paired: again, John, “In him was life, and the life was the light of all people” (Jo. 1:4). When God said, “Let there be light” (Gen. 1:2), it was the beginning of all life. The light from God not only made life possible, but gave us the means to see and understand what God was doing. It gave us the means to discern the truth. “In his light we see light” (Ps. 36:9), as it says in the Psalms.
These are times in the life of our nation that provide a sobering and even shocking contrast to the light of this season. The light of Christ is for all nations, including our own. What we see instead of this light is a sort of darkness made visible: a lack of charity and sympathy and an embrace of raw power on the part of public servants that runs roughshod over the rule of law. Instead of the true light that helps us to see and understand, we are confronted with a contemptuous blizzard of nonsense meant to baffle and confuse, through which no one can discern anything meaningful. Vengeance and spite cannot be a source of light and life. If we as a people embrace these deadly principles, we’ll be headed to a dead end as a nation.
In a sermon on loving one’s enemies, Dr. King once said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” There’s no future in hating our enemies, as Dr. King says: only the love of God and the love of neighbor can give us that future. By contrast, the light of Christ puts darkness to flight: once again, in John’s Gospel: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” (Jo. 1:5).
We end by coming back to John’s Gospel once again: to the story of the call of the first disciples in our Gospel today, also from the first chapter of John. Jesus’ words to the two disciples are spoken to us as well: “Come and see” (Jo. 1:39). We can only see in the light that comes from Christ. The words get repeated later in the chapter, as Philip says to Nathanael, “Come and see” (Jo. 1:46). This is good news that we have to share: with our friends, our neighbors, and even our enemies.
In other words, come and see the one who is the light of the world. Come and see the one who banishes all darkness and brings us into his own marvelous light (cf. 1 Pet. 2:9). Come in out of the darkness of sin and walk into the true light that enlightens the whole world. As the prophet announces, “I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth” (Is. 49:6).