“The Light shines in the darkness,” says John 1:5, “and the darkness has not overcome it.” That’s a statement of faith, but it’s also a statement of physical reality.

For millennia, we’ve been gazing at the stars in the sky, but with the invention of the telescope, we began to see them in earnest. In 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope began operating, and we began to see the stars in an entirely new way. Now, with the James Webb Telescope taking the Hubble’s place, our view has become even more vivid.

Thanks to these two innovations, we’re able to see the light of stars at distances that are almost inconceivable for our finite human understanding. Distances so long they’re literally named “light years”, which merely means the distance light can travel over a period of 365 days. And yet, that light reaches us intact, so much so that we can determine through its light spectrum what that star is made of.

Darkness does not overcome light. A strong gravity field may distort it, and clouds of interstellar gas might obscure it. But the darkness of space can’t stop it. And what John says about the Light is just as true. We may distort or obscure it with our odd human notions. But the Light of the Lord pierces through our darkness. The Word of God is a light that can’t be stopped.

We invite you to join us Sunday morning, at 9:30 for adult Sunday School and 10:30 for worship. We’re located on the corner of First and High Street in Steelville. For more information, check out our website at steelvillepresbyterian.org.