Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." - John 8:12
John's Gospel contains the seven famous "I Am" statements from Jesus.
It is tempting to think of these statements as mere metaphors. In a sense, of course, they are metaphors. But they are so much more than that.
Jesus says things like "I am the light of the world," to paint a picture in our minds. We know what physical light is, and this helps us understand the spiritual concept Jesus is talking about.
However, we must understand that the physical world came into existence from God. In other words, the spiritual preceded the physical.
When Jesus says "I am the light of the world" He is using a secondary concept (physical light) to help us understand a primary one (spiritual light).
Jesus is the true light, the fundamental light, the Light from which all other conceptions of light emerge.
If we have physical light but not spiritual light, our eyes may see but our spirits remain trapped in blindness.
If we have spiritual light but not physical light, our eyes may be in darkness but our spirits are free to roam.
To the follower of Christ who has crucified themself to this world, a brand new world is opened up. In this new world we see with our faith not with our eyes. Our hunger is satisfied by the Word of God, not by physical food, and our thirst by the Spirit of God not by physical drink.
This new reality that is offered by Jesus is not disconnected from the physical world but rather it subsumes it. It is not "spiritual" at the cost of the physical but it is the perfect union of both.
As C.S. Lewis said, “Aim at Heaven and you will get Earth thrown in: aim at Earth and you will get neither.”
By stepping into the light emanating from Christ, we draw ever deeper into the new life He wants to reveal to us.
Eternity does not begin after we die. It begins the moment we decide to let ourselves be transformed by the true Light of the world.
I have come into the world as light,
so that whoever believes in me
may not remain in darkness.
John 12:46
In His light we we see light and delight
You have expressed this truth so beautifully. We all pray that we may see in the spirit more clearly, that we grow in discernment, and closer to the Living God.