Read to 1 John 1 and Genesis 1:1-4 to start

Are you familiar with the song “The Sound of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel? While I enjoy the song, it’s not exactly a cheerful tune; it’s about social isolation and alienation. Although it’s more than 60 years old, it feels even more relevant now than it did in the 1960s. I mention it this morning because we’re going to be talking about darkness and light this morning, and that song starts with the line “Hello darkness my old friend, I’ve come to talk with you again.”

Let’s get one thing straight right off the mark — darkness is not your friend. Oh, you might be friendly with darkness, you might be comfortable with it, but certainly darkness will be as comfortable and accommodating as you want it to be, but it’s not your friend. A friend wants good things for you, and darkness does not.