Tom Barnard

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will

never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

(John 8:12)

There is a wonderful word in the vocabulary of glass manufacturing called “iridescence.” It is an optical phenomenon that occurs when chemicals are sprayed on hot, hand-blown glass, resulting in multi-colored hues coming from the surface of the glass itself. The amazing thing is that the iridescent hues change according to the angle from which the surface is viewed.

I like this quote by E. Stanley Jones, in The Way:

“Some have just enough religion to produce irritation and not enough to produce iridescence.”

Jesus said about himself, “I am the light of the world.” John said about him,

“Life itself was in him, and this light gives light to everyone.

The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”

(John 1:5 NLT)

A simple way to say this is, “Jesus shines.” And the light he gives is available to everyone. Some would extinguish the Light, if they could. They can’t. Some would deny that it exists. They cannot prove their point. Some debate against it and substitute other things for it, but their efforts are futile. Jesus shines! How he is seen depends on the person looking at him. But from whatever direction one looks, the Light shines, iridescently!

Here is how one lyricist expressed it:

“Shine, Jesus, shine. Fill this land with the Father’s glory,

Blaze, Spirit, blaze. Set our hearts on fire.

Flow, river, flow. Flood the nations with grace and mercy.

Send forth your Word, Lord, and let there be light.”

(Words and music by Graham Kendrick)