The Victoria Fire & Rescue Department has on their digital sign, “No one has greater love than to give up one’s life for one’s friends,” from John 15:13.

Jesus was foreshadowing his own death, but used it to teach the disciples to “love one another.” John 1 helps us understand that not only is Jesus “the Word”, but he is also the “Light of the World.”

As I sit behind my computer and beside my television tuned to CNN, I cannot help but to ask myself why we as humans choose to live in darkness —one that presents itself in many sundry disguises.

Examples include families imploding with addiction and abuse; decades of marriage ending with “I’ve never loved you;” friends and family battered by aggressive cancer; many aspects of life destroyed by tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and fire; angry, inhuman, partisan voices that scream at us in every aspect of our common life; black, white, straight, gay, Democrat and Republican lives needlessly and violently extinguished; bombs exploding in airport terminals, subway cars and outdoor cafés and gunshots fired in schools, at concert venues or in nightclubs.

It is not disguised my friends, we live in a world full of darkness.

However, The Gospel of John is clear as it reads, “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness does not extinguish the light.” John 1:5.

That is the awesome Good News for us today.

That no matter how angry, violent, divisive and inhumane this world becomes, nothing extinguishes the light. Nothing erases The Word, Nothing can kill the King and “nothing can separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus!”

So be of good courage and take hope in this life.  For to be sure, there is a far more glorious one to come.  While we are here, let’s live loving one another.  Let’s fan the flames of faith, pay it forward, pass it on and maybe peace can begin with us. How much love do you have for your friends?  How much love do you have for your neighbors?  How much love do you have for humanity?

Enough that you would lay down your life … to save theirs?

Jesus did it for you.

Tim Beck is pastor of Kenbridge United Methodist Church. His email address is revtimbeck@gmail.com.