Today's Thought:

John 8:12, "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

You saw it around every corner of Facebook, but could there be a deeper truth behind "the dress?". A recent cellphone snapshot of a dress went viral in the last week of February, going crazy on social media, and even being picked up by huge global news outlets like the BBC and The New York Times. 

The controversy that drew in celebrities and senators, "melting the internet" was simple at first—was "the dress" blue and black, or white and gold? A simple question, but one that quickly divided the globe. (White and gold won in the polls, but in reality the dress in question is blue and black.) 

Even scientists couldn't agree on the phenomenon of vision that caused such stark visual differences. The consensus now, though is that how we perceive the color of the dress is much more related to how our minds process the "meaning" of the surrounding light—the calculations that our brains make to judge the effect that light has on color can create an optical illusion, in this case, fooling the tens of millions of people who saw the blue and black dress as white and gold. It's a bit like how the way that we interpret the light of Jesus makes all the difference for how we judge and value everything else. If we understand the light, we can see things as they really are (this is, as Christ taught, a minority). But if we don't understand the light, black can look white. Just like #thedress.

For the ancient Jews light was an ultimate ideal. For the Jews, light was a metaphor for truth and understanding that leads to life. That's why the Psalmist wrote, "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path" (Psalm 119:105). So, when John wanted to describe the coming of the truth, Jesus Christ, he said, "In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." Jesus himself used the metaphor often. He said, "I am the light of the world." Jesus is the truth and understanding that leads to life. By His light we see. Without His light we are blind to the truth. This is the understanding of what Jesus said of the Pharisees, the religious leaders of His day, "Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit" (Matthew 15:14). All depends of the Light.

What do you see? Blue and black or white and gold? Which is the truth and which is a lie? To know you must have the right light.

1 Peter 2:9, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

Prayer: Our Father we thank you that though we once walked in darkness your glorious light has shinned into our dark hearts to change how we see everything in our world. We thank you that, "if we walk in the light, as [You are] in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, [Your] Son, purifies us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). We praise You for the glorious light, the true understanding and eternal life in Jesus, our Savior, in whose name we pray, amen.