I think one of the most difficult things to do as a disciple of Christ is to look at ourselves and admit our shortcomings. It’s a second type of conversion almost in a person’s life; when we begin to accept our failures and realize the repercussions of our actions and attitudes in front of the Lord.
In today’s gospel, we hear of the meeting between Nicodemus and Jesus. The fact that this well-known moment happens at night time is no accident. The night time symbolizes the spiritual darkness in which man lives apart from God. Nicodemus comes to Jesus amid darkness so that he is not seen with him. It’s in that darkness that Jesus preaches and reminds Nicodemus “that the light came into the world but people preferred darkness to light.”
When have we preferred darkness to light? When did we not want to be seen with the Lord?
We enable the darkness when our “attitudes” go against Christ’s teachings. This world we live in today is being “torn” by animosity between people. The conflicts can be about almost anything nowadays – the pandemic, school, finances, politics – take your pick. What we need to pray on and remember is that when we speak, act or portray a specific attitude, it needs to be one that supports the “light.”
Jesus reminds us that by turning on a light, the things we hide in the darkness are exposed. So, during this Lenten season, let’s make sure to pray on living as joyful missionary disciples, expose what we hide in the dark and challenge one another to live as the light of Christ.
