We Are The City Harmonic Sample

"Let There Be Light" 

One of the most beautiful things about the Bible is that it tells a unified story while at the same time being incredibly diverse.  Despite the fact that it was written over the course of many thousands of years and by many different authors, there is a very clear, overarching story to our Bible.  There are themes and symbols throughout the Old Testament that are picked up by New Testament writers over and over again, and even though sometimes, to our modern minds, Scripture might seem disjointed, looking at the big picture of the whole of the text of the Bible brings new light and insights into understanding our world, ourselves, and our God.

One particular theme that shows up over and over is the theme of light in the darkness.  Genesis 1 describes the creation of everything.  God speaks and chaos finds form, emptiness is filled, and then light illuminates the dark.  And it was good.

The gospel of John picks up the same image.  “In the beginning was the word and the word…was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  

The book of Revelation carries on that same image as well.  It describes a new city at the end of all things where God will dwell with His people at long last and where everything will be made right again.  In this perfect city there will be no need for a sun because God’s glory “gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.”

It is with all of this in mind, the whole scope of God’s beautiful story of creation and redemption, that we say, “Oh, Lamb of God, Let there be light, cut through the dark, oh let there be light!”  It is a prayer asking for God’s creativity and beauty in our lives, asking for God to make good out of the messes we create, asking for hope as darkness surrounds us.  It is a longing for all things to be made right again, to dwell with our creator.  It is a cry for Jesus to return and be our light.  As we cry out, “let there be light,” we acknowledge our great need for God in the midst of darkness, and we long and hope for the time when Jesus will dwell with us once again.

-Eric Fusilier, The City Harmonic