Jesus & Light Part 2

And so, as Jesus lives out the character of light, so we must embody the character of Jesus. The Christian life is about love, and as Paul says, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (1 Corinithians 13:4-7)

Love is as much about withdrawing as influence. Love wills the freedom, the genuine freedom, of the other. We must be a self-giving people, seeking to empower others and helping them discern what Gods will is for THEIR life. Think about parenthood. A parent who raises a child to be ONLY what they want them to be, or who seeks only a clone of themselves, is not loving that child properly. Rather, most parents know that they must help that child be the best "them" they can be.

Back to Zajonc, Zajonc emphasizes the mystery of the nature of light. Light's nature includes countless paradoxes that Zajonc illustrates in stunning detail. Jesus, too, will always remain a mystery to us. The revelation of God in Christ remains a revelation beyond simple rational explication. Vulnerability-as-ultimate-power will remain a truth we can see and point to in the man Jesus, but one that we can never simply explain. John's strange revelation of "The Lamb Slain From The Foundation of the World" is the purest expression of this reality, but is visual rather than verbal.

Vulnerability alone is not enough. Light gives visibility to the world. Our vulnerability, too, must contain the mysterious power of The Holy Spirit. It must be effective and illuminating, it must be, to borrow a Chinese phrase, wu-wei..a non-action that is paradoxically the perfect action. This comes through the presence of God, to which our actions must point. It is an act of faith. This line from the film OF GODS AND MEN comes to mind:

"Weakness in itself is not a virtue, but the expression of a fundamental reality, which must constantly be refashioned by faith, hope and love. The apostles’ weakness is like Christ’s, rooted in the mystery of Easter and the strength of the spirit. It is neither passivity nor resignation. It requires great courage and incites one to defend justice and truth and to denounce the temptation of force and power…”