You Are The Salt Of The Earth (Part 2)

BY REV HENRY HONG

Continuing from last Sunday’s reflection based on an article by a Christian professor Dr Suzuki we will look at the significance of light.*

Dr Suzuki takes us back to our science lesson where we were told in physics classes that light is an electromagnetic wave that does not need a medium to propagate and is capable of traveling in a vacuum. Light is not only a wave, but in certain circumstances it exhibits particle-like behavior, in discrete packages of energy known as photons. Scientists, for lack of a better explanation, talk of the ‘dual nature’ of light: wavelike and particle-like.

He then stretches our understanding regarding the properties of light when he adds, “Bear in mind that in classical physics, waves and particles are mutually exclusive properties or concepts. How can two mutually exclusive properties be merged in a single physical entity we call light?”

Remember that Jesus says of Himself: “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12; 9:5; cf. John 12:46).

Dr Suzuki then proposes, “Looking at the dual nature of light, we can understand how appropriate this self-description is. Light has two simultaneous natures that manifest themselves differently in different circumstances; and Jesus is the only one in the whole universe that embodies both the divine and human nature. How appropriate for Jesus, then, to refer to Himself as the “light of the world.”

“The wavelike characteristic of light may be a metaphor for understanding the divine nature of Jesus, since electromagnetic waves are nonmaterial, non-localized in space. That means they can fill the whole environment, do not need matter to propagate, and pierce through even the interstellar vacuum.

“One way of thinking about this might be that the particle-like characteristic of light can be thought of as paralleling the human nature of Jesus, since particles are localized in space (they occupy a definite place in space) and can interact with each other ‘shoulder to shoulder.’”

Indeed, John the apostle describes this Jesus “the Word who was God” (John 1:1),as “the true light,” who came down from heaven to rub ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with the human kind (John 1:9-14),

“The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Jesus is truly the light of this world, not only at the top of the Mount of Transfiguration in all His glory but also in all instances in which He touched the ‘untouchables.’

Since He is the source of light, His followers are encouraged to reflect His light to the world, as planets and satellites reflect the sun’s light.

In Kathryn Spink’s Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography, Mother Teresa relates a story about a time she visited an old man whom nobody ever visited. He lived in filth, and Mother Teresa finally convinced him to let her clean his house. While cleaning, she found a beautiful lamp covered in layers of dirt that had built up for years.

“Why do you not light the lamp?” Mother asked him.

“For whom? No one comes for me, I don’t need the lamp,” he said.

“Will you light the lamp if the Sisters come to see you?” she asked.

“Yes, if I hear a human voice, I will do it.”

Much later, the man sent word to Mother Teresa: “Tell my friend the light she has lighted in my life is still burning.”

During this season of Lent may we help light up someone’s life -to those in darkness or despair, lonely or lost, sick or sorrowful -so that they can may come to know Jesus, “the Light of the world.”

*(ALFREDO TAKASHI SUZUKI, PH.D., IS AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF PHYSICS AT LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, ADVENTISTWORLD.ORG JANUARY 2020)