Annie's Dream, The Gospel of John and Coming Into The Light

Each day that I go to Urban Hope, I ask God to show me a theme for the day.  Without fail, I come home with a series of events that tie themselves together into a neat and vivid lesson.  Today's message was "Come out of the darkness and enter the light."

The first portion of the lesson was brought to me by Annie (not her real name).  As you may remember, she's a four year old girl who I met when I went to Urban Hope's Block Party.  She's a hugger and she ran across the fellowship hall this morning to give me my almost weekly hug.  She smiled brightly and yet, without warning, her chin started quivering and she looked at me with tearing eyes that beamed their life into my soul as she explained that she'd had a dream just last night that she was in a dark room and a man with a knife was behind her about to kill her.  I assured her as best as I could that she was safe and that dreams can be scary.  She gave me another hug and ran off to chase her sister and some other little girl who was having issues with her socks.

The fact that a little girl is having such a dream should not go unnoticed but that's not the point of this short message.  I'll deal with that later.

The sermon today, among other verses included the first 11 verses of the Gospel of John:

From the New International Version:

The Word Became Flesh

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

Darkness - It's a scary place for a little girl who shouldn't have dreams such as did Annie and it's a scary place for any adult who should recognize the obvious signs that God is trying to get your attention and bring you into the Light.

Take a moment now to consider how God may be trying to get you to step into the Light.

Here's a link to the entire message from Urban Hope.