When I was a little kid I could go into my backyard at night and see the starry band of the Milky Way galaxy stretched out across the sky. Yet before I reached high school, light from the city, local ball parks, and newly lit Interstate exchanges had bleached out the night sky. Only the moon and the brightest stars were visible through this “light pollution.”
The Gospel of John uses the metaphor of light to describe Christ’s victory over the world’s sin and suffering: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (1:5) This is a statement of faith that even when circumstances prevent us from feeling God’s presence, God remains with us.
Christians have long known that painful experiences can “dim” one’s perception of God. Yet even wholesome interests and activities can become a source of “spiritual light pollution” when they distract us from God. The problem is not the interests and activities themselves, it is their relative importance in our lives.
Each of the stars in the Milky Way is millions of times brighter than any of the lights on earth that wash out the stars’ light in the night sky. Yet the lights on earth are closer to us – and so they appear brighter. We cannot move ourselves closer to the stars but we can move ourselves closer to God. We can insure that none of our interests or activities in closer to our “center” than the light of Christ which shines in the darkness.
Are there interests or activities in your life that have moved between yourself and God?