“Then God said: ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good. God then separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called ‘night.’ Evening came, and morning followed—the first day.” (Genesis 1: 3-5)
At the beginning of creation, the world was chaotic, “without form and void” (Gen1:2). Out of nothing, God begins to create. Over the next six days God would change the formlessness and the emptiness. Days 1-3: God forms this world with day and night, sea and sky, and land and vegetation. Days 4-6: God fills with emptiness with the sun, moon, and stars, fish and birds, man and animals. On day 7, God rests.
*For more information, look at footnotes in the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Genesis.
In the first day, God creates day and night. Here time is created. On the fourth day, there will be a parallel with the creation of the sun, moon, and the stars, where our concept of the length of 24-hr days begin. Yet, how was there light before the sun existed? We continue to visit the importance of reading Genesis in context, we are not seeking so much scientific answers, but the answers to the philosophical questions. This first chapter of Genesis answers better the Why? questions as opposed to the How?
Yet light plays such an important role in not only our physical lives, but our spiritual lives as well. One big childhood fear is usually being afraid of the dark. Yet, God brings forth light; he conquers our fears. In John’s Gospel, we are reminded that Christ, the Son of God is the light of the world, and the darkness cannot overcome him.
What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness,and the darkness has not overcome it.
(John 1: 3b-5)
We are called to be lights in this world. God uses us as new creations to be lights among the chaos and fears of darkness. We have an important role, in sharing this Gospel of light to others. Even when we fear the future or the evil that surrounds us, we can stand as lights, showing others the faith that will bring all joy, peace and consolation.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”
