In
1948, after numerous defeats and imprisonments, Mahatma Ghandi failed to
survive the last of 6 assassination attempts. While never holding an elected
position, he is still considered the liberator of India from a century of
British rule.
In
1994, Nelson Mandela was elected president of South Africa after serving 27 years
as a political prisoner for his actions against apartheid.
In
1989, Vaclav Havel was elevated from ten years as political prisoner to
becoming the first elected president of present-day Czech Republic, leading
that nation just out of communism for 14 years.
Each
of these three leaders was acclaimed as a person who "brought the light
to places in deep darkness," as former Secretary of State Madeline
Albright said at Havel's funeral.
What
these world leaders did for their nations, Jesus of Nazareth did for the entire
world. He brought light into darkness at the dawn of creation. At His birth He
brought light into a world darkened by sin and evil. John 1:4-5 tells us, "In
Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The Light
shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."
John
the Baptizer came to prepare the way of the Lord and to bear witness to Jesus
as the Light of the world. In John 8:12 Jesus says, “I am the light of the
world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of
life.”
Like
John, we, too, can bear witness that Jesus in the Savior who brings light into
the darkness of peoples' souls and also into the hearts of nations when its
people turn from the darkness of sin to following the Light of the world.
In
our world today, where good is often considered bad and bad is seen as good,
where good and evil are interchanged and mingled, people are seeking direction
and light for the darkness. Perhaps today you can be the one who shines the
light of Christ into someone's heart.
Rev. Bob Tasler, www.bobtasler.com
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