Center for Creative Ministry A research organization and research center for Seventh-day Adventist pastors and their congregations
Light Shines in the Darkness
The Milky Way Galaxy just got a whole lot more mysterious … and might soon be much darker.
Gaia BH3, registering a mere 1,926 light-years away from Earth and ranking in with a mass 33 times that of Earth’s sun, has made its presence known after disrupting the orbit of a giant star. Gaia BH3, what astronomers have also dubbed a “sleeping giant,” is a massive stellar black hole readying itself to absorb a companion star.
Stellar black holes like Gaia BH3 form through the death of massive stars. They then can gobble up or siphon off mass from nearby stars, resulting in flashes of light before the dwindling stars are collapsed into the expanse of darkness.
Scientifically speaking, darkness is the absence of light. And in this case, the darkness snuffs out the light. Yet, in a strange twist of fate, the voids would fail to exist without there having been light (stars) to begin with.
Similarly, spiritual darkness is the absence of God’s light. Spiritual darkness likely would not exist if Satan had not given up his ability to be clothed in light by following his selfish desires and pride (Ezekiel 28:13-17).
During the brief time remaining before the Second Coming, Satan “masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14, NIV) in an attempt to spiritually devour Christ’s disciples (Acts 20:29-30, 1 Peter 5:8).
By prayerfully reading the Word under the guidance of Holy Spirit, the mind shall be enlightened and dwell on God’s truths (Psalms 119:105-160), safeguarding ourselves against the prince of darkness.
For Reflection
Connecting: What are the benefits of light? How do those correlate to the benefits of spiritual light?
Sharing: Consider the texts in Scripture in which God is described as physical light. What are you takeaways?
- The metaphor of spiritual light results from God being literal light
- God chose to present as light because the metaphor was already circulating
- Natural light had a different religious and cultural significance back then than now
- God’s light is more devastating than a black hole
- Eclipse glasses might have been the only way Bible characters could have seen God’s face (without instantaneously dying)
- Other
Applying: How does your culture decide what is truth? Are any of the methods compatible with the Scriptures? Prayerfully consider how the gaps can be bridged in your culture through the truths found in Scripture.
Valuing: Where in your life have you compromised God’s truth/light? Will you pray for Holy Spirit to lead you onto the lighted path?
~ Stefani Leeper
Your Center for Creative Ministry Team
The Center for Creative Ministry is fully recognized by the North American Division (NAD) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church; it is also a 501c3 nonprofit organization which makes donations tax deductible in the U.S.
