John 8:12-20

John 8:12-20 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Verse 12 is one of the most hopeful verses in all of Scripture.
  We don't have to look far to see the darkness.  Between the mass shootings and the drug epidemics and the way cancer devastates loved ones and entire communities, we're surrounded by it.  Darkness looms across society through suicide epidemics, and it gets very personal in health crises and our own anxiety and worry.  You and I and every person on this planet can find darkness without a lot of work.
  But even in the midst of it, we don't walk in it, because Christ is the light of the world.  When we follow Christ, the darkness may fall upon us, it may threaten us, but it does not determine the fate of our footsteps, it does not conquer our hearts, it does not rule our eternities, because Christ has laid claim to that, and there is nothing the darkness can do to tear us from the mighty hand of God.  You have been claimed, washed in the waters of baptism and marked as Christ's own forever -- the darkness cannot defeat the light, no matter how powerfully the forces buffet the light of the world.  They thought they had snuffed out the Son on Good Friday, but Christ rose from the depths of hell on Easter Sunday to show the world what true power looked like.
  When we follow a trail, it's best to focus on what's right in front of you.  Look too far ahead, and you're liable to trip over an exposed root or other obstacle on the path.  It's a narrow path, Jesus tells us, so pay attention to the here and now.  Step by step, and Jesus will ensure you end up in the Kingdom of God -- Jesus doesn't lose any of the ones God has entrusted to him -- that's a promise, and Jesus keeps promises. 
  So how will you manage to deal with any of the dark problems pressing in on you?  I don't know how I'll deal with mine, but I know that I can take a deep breath and deal with this moment, focusing on the light of Christ and the life within me, thanking God for the blessings of now.  I'll deal with the next moment later, and, as Paul says, let the evil of the day be sufficient.  Tomorrow will have its own darkness, and I'll focus on my footsteps today, leaving tomorrow to tomorrow and trying to be grateful for today.  Here and now, the light is shining, and it will not leave me, so the next step will be in the light, so I'll handle the next one once I manage this one.