“In Him was life, and that life was the Light of all mankind. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 1:4-5
It is estimated that a person with normal vision can see a single lit candle up to 1.6 miles away in the dark. Amazingly, the darker it is, the more easily one can see the light.
Scientifically, darkness has no definition except that it is the absence of light. Light will shine in the darkness, but darkness cannot overcome the light, that is, make it not shine, not matter how dark it is.
Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world.” (John 8:12) Jesus is the true light that came into the world, bringing Hope to mankind. But He also said this: He said, “YOU are the Light of the world”. (Matthew 5:14)
God is Light, He is Love, and He is Life. When we allow the Light of Christ to shine through us, it brings Hope to others.
How do we bring others hope?
People are naturally drawn to light, to life, and to love. People want to see and experience what is real, they want something that will make a difference in their lives, something to hold on to. They need Hope.
God can use broken, weak vessels to shine His light through. Even out of tragedy, if we allow Him, He can use us to bring hope to others. We have seen God’s Light shine in our darkness for almost two years, since we lost our 14-year-old son, Christopher.
Although feeling surrounded by darkness, sorrow and grief, Jesus has let His Light shine in and let us know He is there. We are convinced He was with Christopher at the moment he felt such darkness and pain that he could only think of making it stop. Jesus’ Light guided him home.
We have a memorial garden dedicated to Christopher in our backyard – in the very spot that Christopher chose to leave us. Solar lights illuminate the garden every night to remind us that Jesus’ Light comes to dispel the darkness.
We use the words, Light and Hope a lot during the Christmas season. Jesus is the Light of the world and He came as the Hope for all humans to be saved. These two words mean a lot to us as well.
We, along with our oldest son, Jordan, have started Christopher’s Hope Foundation to raise funding for starting Hope Squads in local schools for suicide prevention and awareness. It is one way we believe we can help bring light to young people who are struggling in the darkness.
If you would like to know more about our story and Hope Squads, you can visit www.christophershope.org. We will be humbled and honored if you do.
Merry Christmas and Happy Light of the World Festival!
God bless you all,
Larry and Cathy Lawrence
How does any part of the message you read help you celebrate Jesus and His Word as your light? How does this message speak to you? Let us know below!
I am the new Southeastern Regional Director for Hope Squad, working closely with Dr. Hudnall to start Hope Squads in the 10-state region assigned to me. As the Carolinas are in my region, I would love to assist you in any way possible to continue the spread of this wonderful program that saves lives and helps shine the light on the importance of youth mental health. (BTW: I believe I met Larry when I was in Provo for my Master Trainer certification; I just didn’t know to connect you to your foundation at the time.) Call, text, or email me anytime. (850) 217-5207- Diane
Thank you Diane. I just saw your reply today. You did meet Larry in Utah for the Master Trainer certification. I will have him get in touch with you. We would love to have your help and input. We recently trained Advisors for District 6 in Spartanburg – middle schools, Freshman Academy and Dorman High School! The District 6 superintendent has been very supportive and enthusiastic about getting Hope Squad started in his schools! We have also sponsored Hope Squad in Spartanburg District 2 schools and High Point Academy, and one school in Greenville, SC. We would love to have a Squad in every school in SC!