For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. (John 3:20)

The story goes of a wife who suspected her husband was unfaithful, so she decided to test him. She wrote a note saying that she was leaving him and would be back to pick up her things and left it on the dressing table, then hid under their bed when she heard him return home. She heard him come into the bedroom, stand by the dressing table. She heard him sit on the bed above her and heard him make a phone call. “Angie! Darling!” he said. “Fantastic news! She’s left me. We don’t have to pretend any more. I’m going to leave a note for her and I’ll be right over.” A few minutes later she heard him leave. Shocked and stunned she got out from under the bed and there, on the dressing table, was her note with her husband’s added comments. They said, “Angie is the speaking clock. I’ve popped out for some milk. Back in a few minutes. I love you. PS: Next time make sure your feet aren’t sticking out.”

Sometimes, when we do things we aren’t proud of, or when we know that there are parts of ourselves we aren’t proud of, then the last thing we want is for other people to see them or to know about them. We want to hide them away. we want to pretend that they haven’t happened or that those aspects of ourselves aren’t really part of us. Maybe that’s a tendency to be greedy or to find people attractive when we know we really shouldn’t - maybe we feel temptations or desires that we know are wrong. Maybe, sometimes, we’ve followed through on those things and the last thing we would want is for anyone else to know. So we keep them hidden. We hide them in the dark.

That’s the thing about sin. It’s something we don’t want the world to know about. We’d like the world to think that we’re kind, generous, loving people and that we are never less than saints. Who are we kidding? Yes, we all say, think or do stuff now and then that we’re ashamed of - that comes with being human because part of being human is the experience of temptation and we all, sometimes, succumb to temptations. Often it’s to minor things - we let rip at someone who irritates us, or we we find something and think, well “finders, keepers”. Even so, it’s not something we’re proud of, so we like to keep it quiet. So we hide it in the dark.

Sometimes, when we’re ashamed, we can find it hard to come to God in prayer. That’s the problem with sin. I’ve heard all sorts of theological theories as to why sin separates us from God, but I think it could be as simple as this: when we know that we’ve messed up the last thing we want to do is to come into the presence of a divine being who knows exactly what our thoughts have been, exactly what we’ve said and exactly what we’ve done. A God, in short, who sees our feet sticking out from under the bed. There’s a part of us that would rather keep hiding in the dark.

Then there’s the words from Psalm 139 we sang earlier: “Surely the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as the day, the darkness light”. When Jesus talks about people not wanting to come to the light so that their deeds may not be exposed there’s an irony to that: there is no darkness to God. Everything we think, say and do is exposed to a God who is everywhere, at every moment and who knows our innermost thoughts and feelings. What Jesus is getting at, I think, is that that thought can unnerve us. If we come to God in prayer, if we step into the light, if we open our hearts and our innermost thoughts to the light, what darknesses might be revealed?

Doesn’t that speak of a lack of faith in the love and grace of God? Sure, we all mess up sometimes - we’ve all got those things and those places in ourselves that we’d rather keep hidden in the dark, but when it comes to God that’s rather like the way little children hide - by putting their hands in front of their faces on the assumption that if they can’t see you, you can’t see them. And really, do we really imagine that the God who has seen everything human beings on the face of this planet have ever done will find what we have done unforgivable? That he will turn away from us and say, “You thought what? Oh man! That’s too terrible!” If we ever get anywhere close to that, there are some wise words an old friend brought to my attention:

“Once in a saintly passion I cried with desperate grief

'Oh Lord, my heart is black with guile, of sinners I am chief'

Then stooped my guardian angel and whispered from behind 

'Vanity my little man, you're nothing of the kind’

We are the followers of Jesus Christ: the light of the world. We are called to step into that light not because we are especially good or just or fair or generous and certainly not because we are perfect. We are called to step into that light not because we have nothing we’d rather hide in the darkness. We are called to step into that light because that light does expose us, before God, for who we really are, with all our faults and all our failings; but it exposes us before a loving Father - a Father who already knows who we are, warts and all, but who loves us and forgives us if we’re ready to stop hiding in the dark and step into the light.

We are followers of Jesus Christ: the light of the world. In Christ God came into the world as a human being - a human being who knew all the temptations and weaknesses and drives of human beings; in whom God understands full well why it is that we sometimes want to hide in the darkness but who still calls us to the light.

We are the followers of Jesus Christ: the light of the world. And we are meant to shine that light into the world around us and focus it on the dark places of the world. We are meant to let the light of God shine and illuminate the places that the world would rather kept hidden in the dark. We are meant to shine a light on the poor and the hungry so that we and the rest of the world see them clearly and are forced to ask of ourselves, why do we let this happen? We are meant to shine a light on the exploited and the enslaved so that we and the rest of the world see them clearly and are forced to ask of ourselves, why do we let this happen? We are meant to shine a light on the victims of wars so that we and the world see them clearly and are forced to ask ourselves, why do we let this happen?

Maybe, closer to home, there are people who have hurt us: who have made us feel small or who have suspected us unjustly. Maybe they have lied to us or betrayed us in some way. And maybe they refuse to accept that or they refuse to admit it or - maybe - they can’t even admit it to themselves. Who knows? Maybe they need someone who can see their feet sticking out from under the bed: someone who will offer the chance to stop hiding in the darkness and step into the light. If you can do that - and all it takes is the recognition that we all mess up and an open hand, then you and I and everyone can share the light of the world.

Lord, may our hearts be ever open to your light. May it shine into our darkness and dispel it; may we share the forgiveness you offer us with those around us and so share your light with them

Preached at Kirkpatrick-Fleming Parish church