A World War II veteran told me that he had never experienced complete darkness until he was on a ship in the Pacific Ocean during the war. There were no stars at night, and the ship's lights were off so that no enemies could see it.

When it is pitch dark, you can't see your hand in front of your face. You have no idea what lies ahead of you or what might be near you. You have no idea of the risks you could face with every move. That is a compelling picture of being lost in sin.

If Jesus had not come into our world, we would still be lost in the darkness of sin. We would have remained in hopeless blindness. But Jesus is "the light of the world." He is the one who comes to us in our darkness and leads us into his glorious light. He shows us the way out of hopeless darkness and continues to guide us by the light of God's mercy. "Whoever follows me," he promised, "will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Into the darkness a light has shined. That light is the light of life and the light of the world. Do not walk in darkness; follow Jesus' radiant light.