The bringing into existence of light had an early and important place in
the creation of the universe. It has held an important place in all the
age-long continuance of the creative process which has been going on ever
since that early day—so much so that it has marked the Creator as
essentially a God of light, neither in whom nor in whose purposes is
there any darkness at all.
In the different realms of life, light must take different forms. In the
physical universe, it takes the form of the illuminating ray that makes
daylight out of darkness. In the life of man, it takes the form of the
knowledge of the truth which makes him free. Wherever the influence of
God goes, it carries with it the illuminating agency of schools, teachers,
and books. No land remains ignorant under the sway of the gospel. The
Christianization of a land is simply the carrying of the creative process
on into new realms of life, and early in every such creative process is
heard the majestic edict: “Let there be light.” The answer to the edict
is ever the same: “And there was light.”
God permitted darkness as a stage in creation, but never as a permanent
condition. He may permit the darkness of ignorance or sin or both—for
they go hand in hand—in a life as a stage in its development. But wherever
a continuance of the conditions is insisted upon a day longer than
necessity requires, the results must be disastrous.
There is a certain life-giving strength in light. There is a wide
difference between the pale and twisted plant that grows under a board
in the garden and the plant from the same parent that has had the good
fortune to grow in the sunlight. Much the same difference may be
observed in the case of two lives between which there has been a
similar difference.
There is nothing in the purpose or the kingdom of God that needs fear
the light. What will not stand the light is not of His designing. The
best that His gospel and His power can ask is to be investigated and
tested. There need be no fear of what will happen when all men
investigate for themselves.