Rippling light

Although we saw many cool things on holiday this year on a trip to Virginia and the Bahamas, my favourite discovery was lightning bugs - tiny creatures that flash phosphorescently in the dark. They were magical pinpricks of light that really lit up the atmosphere. It's amazing the difference such tiny bugs can make to the night air.
I've been thinking about those bugs a lot this week as I've spent time with lots of grieving young people who have lost a good friend. I'm impressed at the way they are sharing their grief lovingly and sensitively, bringing hope and comfort to their communities. They have devised their own very moving rituals for remembering and saying goodbye. They have also, in their hurt, been able to celebrate many good times and achievements. Like the friend they mourn, these young folk are making a huge difference to their communities, lighting up the darkness with their own brand of shining light. That light cannot help but penetrate the awful darkness into which they have been plunged.
The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5