Lux Mundi
by Bishop John E. Privett
Dear Friends,
As the darkness of November and December increases on the journey toward the winter solstice, I am more and more grateful for the coloured lights that begin to appear in houses, on trees and on our streets. I welcome the lighting of candles and the kindling of fires in our homes as friends and family gather. The lights bring joy and festivity to our winter world. They also help to combat the inevitable closing in of the darkness that can lead some to a closing in of the spirit in the form of isolation, Seasonal Adjustment Disorder, or some form of depression. The lights stand in the face of the darkness resisting its progress, and issuing an invitation to all to draw near.
Lux Mundi is Latin for "Light of the World." It is also the title of a book published in 1890 which was a series of essays by British theologians on the incarnation of Jesus. It became a landmark publication which laid the foundation for much of our modern understanding of Jesus' life and ministry. In his famous commentary on St. John’s Gospel (1939), Archbishop William Temple likened the life of Jesus to a great lighthouse that stands at the centre of history, shining backward to the creation of the world and forward to our own time. And like the lights we string in our yards and homes, the Light of Christ calls to us.
The image of Jesus as the Light of the World has always meant a great deal to me, but it came to mean even more during our Bible Studies at the Lambeth Conference this summer. The studies were based on the "I am" statements in St. John's gospel, and when the bishops in our study group explored John 8: 1 - 20 and Jesus' phrase "I am the light of the world," I had a powerful insight into what that means in our time. Members of my Bible study literally came from all over the world and the figure of Jesus spoke to each of them in their own circumstances in a profound way. From places of poverty, injustice and oppression to places of suffering and the loss of meaning amidst great material wealth, the voices in my study expressed the timeless significance of the person of Jesus, who brings hope and challenge, dignity and judgement to the world. The Bishop of Louisiana spoke to us about the work of his diocese in responding to the overwhelming needs of the city New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In the darkness of the months following the flooding, with its immense humanitarian needs, the Church and its Lord was a sign of hope and light for many. In Canada in October, we marked the 50th Anniversary of the Springhill Mine disaster in Nova Scotia. That tragedy was the event that gave birth to the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund in our own Church resulting in decades of responding to those in need. In the coming months we will have opportunity to celebrate 50 years of the fund's extraordinary work in this country and around the world.
There are many ways to light a light in the darkness of the world. As we prepare to celebrate Jesus' birth once again, may the light of faith illuminate our own hearts and lives so that through our prayers and actions we might bear witness to the one who is the Light of the World. May God be with you and bless you as we celebrate the birth of Jesus this year.
Faithfully, +John
