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Outshine the Darkness

This phrase came to me with a simple little thought: darkness can be present, sometimes even very present, but it does not change who Jesus is. He remains the Light. And I think that is also something we need to remind ourselves of when we look at what is happening around us or even when we go through our own difficult seasons.

This thought naturally points back to the Gospel of John: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:5). I love this image; no matter the intensity of the darkness, it can never overcome the light. And that light is Jesus. He came into a world where darkness was very much present, but it could not prevent His light from shining.

However, what strikes me even more is that Jesus also calls us to reflect this light: "You are the light of the world," He says in Matthew 5:14. We are obviously not the source of this light. Jesus is, and when we choose to follow Him, we are called to let His light be reflected through our lives.

And with Outshine the Darkness, we can choose to live as people who carry this light into a world that needs it. The Bible tells us: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2). This verse makes me think about the fact that we can choose to make a difference instead of simply conforming to everything around us. This may mean choosing love in an environment marked by hate; speaking the truth when lying becomes normal; keeping one's integrity even when no one seems to be watching; forgiving even if it would seem easier to want to hold a grudge; or bringing hope when everything around us seems discouraging. These are sometimes small things, but that is also how we can make a difference.

Jesus left us an example. And by following Him, we are called to live in a way that reflects who He is. That is also why I think of Outshine the Darkness as a call. Not the idea that we can ourselves overcome all the darkness around us, but that we can choose not to let it shape us.

We can choose to let Christ transform us and to reflect His light where we are: in our words, our actions, our way of loving, our way of treating others, our integrity, our way of reacting when things get difficult.

We may not be able to change everything that is happening in the world. But we can decide what we are going to bring to it.

We have not been called to conform to the darkness that surrounds us. We have been called to follow Jesus and to reflect His light. And perhaps we will not always immediately see the impact of this light. But a light, even a small one, can change the atmosphere of a place, encourage a person, or open the door to a conversation.

So, Outshine the Darkness.

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— HH