Science Devotional
Christ, the Light of the World
"I am the light of
the world. He who follows me shall not
walk in darkness, but have the light of life." (John 8:12)
"In [Christ] was
life, and that life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood
it." (John 1:4-5)
"For you were once
darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all
goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds
of darkness, but rather expose them. For
it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes
visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said, 'Wake up O sleeper,
rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.'" (Eph. 5:8-13)
Light is an amazing
component of our universe. Nothing in
the universe travels faster than the speed of light (Star Trek warp speed notwithstanding!).
Special relativity tells us that the speed of light is independent of the
motion of the observer (that is, to an observer traveling 1 meter per second slower
than the speed of light, an object traveling the speed of light would still
appear to be traveling at the speed of light!).
Light has a dual nature that has confused physicists until modern
times: it behaves as both a wave and as
a particle.
Einstein among others
showed that light consists of "particles" called photons that have
energy (but no mass). However, light has many wave-like properties such as
refraction (seen, for example, when light bends through a prism). Of course, light enables us to see, and the
wavelength at which light radiates determines what color we see. And light (sunlight) enables plants to
undergo photosynthesis, which is essential to life (plant, animal, and human)
on Earth. From a physical standpoint,
then, light is absolute, mysterious, sight-enabling, life-giving, and --
without a doubt -- wondrous!
From a spiritual
standpoint, the Light of the World -- Christ -- is equally wondrous. Christ is the Light who forms the absolute
standard that discerns the thoughts and intentions of the hearts of men. Christ
is the Light who is mysterious (1 Tim.
for He is the Way, the Truth, and the
Life. In the world we live in today,
with so many uncertainties and so much evil, Christ is the only answer to the
questions of life. Let us turn to
Christ, the Light of the World.
In Christ,
Nigel Lee
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Biography:
Nigel and Laifong Lee live in
Nigel received his
Ph.D. in electrical engineering from
Laifong received her Ph.D
in molecular biology from