The Great Transfer

Colossians 1:11-14

He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son. (Colossians 1:12-13)

ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT themes in John’s Gospel is the contrast between darkness and light. “The light shines in the darkness,” he wrote, “and the darkness can never extinguish it” (John 1:5). Jesus’ words and works highlighted the interaction between darkness and light. Paul wrote about this theme too, reminding the Colossians that they had been transferred from one kingdom to another, rescued from a world of darkness and transplanted into the Kingdom of light. It’s a dramatic picture, and it appeals to all of us who love clear distinctions and black-and-white issues. It reminds us we are not living in the gray.

In our daily experience, however, we encounter a lot of gray. Sometimes it confronts us and confuses us; sometimes we go looking for it on our own. For all of the glorious promises of our transfer into the Kingdom of light, we still choose to dabble in darkness every once in a while. Even when we don’t, we find shadows on the edge of truth, borderlines between right and wrong, with no clear answers to be found. Ethicists are adept at pointing out moral dilemmas that leave us without clear choices, and life presents us with many such examples. Over time, we may forget which kingdom we live in, or at least forget the luster of the one we’ve chosen. The light becomes much less visible.

That’s why it can be a healthy exercise from time to time to go back to the beginning—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually—not to revert to any earlier immaturity, but to remember who we were and what we were rescued from. When we rehearse our first love—those times when we were captivated by the gospel of light and transformed by its brilliance—something happens inside. Things become clearer. The light within us shines brighter once again, God reminds us of our priorities, and the gray begins to recede.

{Jesus, may I never forget the amazing rescue you accomplished on my behalf or the inheritance you have given me as a citizen of the Kingdom of light. Rekindle the fire within me; remind me of my love; and distance me from the darkness once again. Amen.