Living on the LIGHT SIDE

Living on the Light Side
I must be on Star Wars overload.  Watching the newest episode 3 times, as well as watching several of the earlier episodes with my two youngest grandsons, and seeing them donning their Star Wars costumes and light sabers over the last week, caused me to ponder the notion of the “Light Side” versus the “Dark Side”.  The Jedi were major practitioners of the Light Side, and were the mortal enemies of the Dark Side of the Force.  Light versus Dark.  Isn’t that mankind’s opposing forces since the very beginning of time?

In the creation story in Genesis, God “speaks” things into existence “Let there be light….”  It’s a sign of God’s creative power that every single word He utters, brings forth something new, vibrant, and wondrous.  Then Adam and Eve fell to the voice of the “Dark Side” when the enemy tempted them and succeeded, that caused them to be banished from the beauty of the garden.

In 1 John 2:5-7, John writes “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is LIGHT and in Him is NO darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.  But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”   That’s the difference between the LIGHT side and the DARK side.  You can sure tell that jealousy, hate, bitterness and anger caused Anakin Skywalker and Kylo Ren to go wrong and turn to the Dark Side.  It’s quite possible, when we examine our hearts, we won’t find that we hate anyone.  But every little thing that we allow to remain in our hearts can have a “dark” effect on us.  We might not be in darkness, but we certainly might find ourselves in the “shade”.

The beginning of this new year is the perfect time to clear out those things that hinder the LIGHT in us.  Let’s open ourselves to His healing and empowering light.  When we declare with the Psalmist, “The Lord IS MY LIGHT and my salvation, who should I fear?  The Lord is my life’s refuge, of whom should I be afraid?” – then there will never be a shadow of doubt which side we’re on, and all the dark forces that try to draw us to their side, will never win!  The FORCE (the LIGHT source) that comes with peace and calm will always be in us and with us.

May THE FORCE be with you!