Devotional for March 17 by David Hill
Read John 9:1-41, the Gospel lesson for Sunday, March 19.
For many years Deion Sanders relied upon his speed to star in both professional football and baseball. As a boy Deion had the unfortunate need to walk past a huge cemetery after playing at school or a park until dark. To resolve this dilemma, he would stand at the edge of the graveyard and wait until a car approached heading toward his house. He would then sprint alongside the car, trying to keep up with the lights until he got to his front porch. Deion says, “That’s how I got my speed – racing against the darkness.”
Deion was known as “Prime Time”. He was a walking and running advertisement for high living – with expensive clothes, jewelry, cars, and mansion. As he reports in his 1998 autobiography, this ended when he met Jesus and began reading the Bible, witnessing, preaching, sharing… Serving Christ became more important than fame and wealth. Deion began to race against the darkness of sin.
In the story of the man born blind, we see Jesus racing against the darkness of misunderstanding (disciples), skepticism (neighbors), division (Pharisees), fear (parents), and unbelief (Pharisees). Racing against the darkness is a good image for Christian living. Where do we find ourselves confronting barriers such as these as we seek to let our light shine? How does our church confront the darkness of poverty, food insecurity, violence, or discrimination?
Just as important as the race itself is the benefit of racing against the darkness. In his nightly race, Deion Sanders grew faster and in his conversion grew stronger in his faith. The blind man’s encounter with Jesus led him to grow in faith, from mere recognition by name to accepting Jesus as Lord. We race against the darkness, when we receive Jesus Christ by faith and live in the light of his love.
Prayer: Help us, Lord, to let our light shine in the midst of darkness. Amen.