Central Abbotsford

Spring is here! And even though the chills of winter have not fully left us (a little over a week ago, we managed to get about an inch of snow at our place), we have now officially crept past the vernal equinox (the precise beginning of spring) and can look forward to all the gardening, lawn mowing, and allergies that come with this season.

For, after all, spring is the season of new beginnings – flowers and leaves blossom and grow, animals emerge from hibernation, birds once again can be frequently seen flying above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.

Ancient Israel was acutely aware of the seasons, as the beginning of Nisan, the first month on the Jewish ecclesiastical calendar, corresponds closely to the start of spring (this year, it falls on March 30, and over the next couple of decades, ranges from March 12 to April 9). This was no accident; it was by God’s decree in Exodus 12. In verse 2, He established as much, as a prelude to the introduction of the Passover that was to take place on the fourteenth day of the month.

Passover, of course, represents a new beginning for Israel, as they broke free from the slavery of Egypt. And Passover’s close ties to Easter also symbolize a new beginning – the new life found in Christ. But I’ll talk more about those in April, because Nisan hasn’t started yet!

Back to the signs of spring, though – the one that I enjoy the most is the increasing quantity of natural light. Hopefully we have all recovered from the aftereffects of the onset of Daylight Saving two weeks ago and are able to revel in the fact that the sun now sets on the good side of 7:00pm. At this time of year, our days get longer at a fast rate than any other point on the calendar. Between March 12 and 25, we add 3 minutes and 38 seconds of light each day, meaning that the last day of Spring Break has nearly an hour more light than the first. If you find yourself in a better mood at the end of the month than the beginning, maybe you have your answer!

Because of light’s importance to humans, it is an image that repeats throughout the Scriptures. God’s first “let there be” in the creation account is light (Genesis 1:3). The new heavens and new earth provide a bookend for God’s provision of light: “They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 22:5)

In between these two poles of creation and re-creation, we see the story of Jesus and His church. In John 8:12, Jesus says “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John picks up this thread in his first epistle, urging the church that “if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

How do we walk in the light? As this time of year reminds us, we have more opportunity to do so when there is more of it around us. Immerse yourself in the true light of the world – in prayer, through the Scriptures, and most importantly, by confessing Him as Saviour and following Him as Lord. Seek to please Him in all that you do, mindful that the work that He has accomplished for you as your Passover lamb (again, foreshadowing for April) is deserving of all praise, honour, and glory. 

Live in the light gladly!

For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. – Ephesians 5:8-10