God is pure light undimmed by darkness of any kind. If we say we have an intimate connection with the Father, but we continue stumbling around in darkness then we are lying, because we do not live according to the truth. 1 John 1:5-6

Walking in the light requires authenticity. For something to be authentic it is the real deal. There is nothing false about it. It is not fake.  An authentic person lives what is real. We are called to be authentic Christians

I read this illustration some time ago about being authentic.  The writer said that some of us are just like a counterfeit ten-dollar bill. You think it is genuine but it is not. You use the bill to pay for gas. The gas station manager buys supplies with it. It eventually reaches the bank and the teller says, “this bill is counterfeit.” That ten-dollar bill did a lot of good while it was in circulation, but when it arrived at the bank, it was exposed for what it really was and pulled out of circulation. Same with a counterfeit Christian. They may do many good things in this life, but when they face the final judgment, they will be rejected. Many times the test comes before. The times we are asked to make a big sacrifice for the good of others or the times when we are called to re-evaluate our thinking., our biases and prejudices.   Thinking about the times of judgment causes us to question ourselves. We ask “Am I a true child of God, or am I a fake Christian? Are we walking in the light of the Word of Life, in authenticity and truth?

 Authenticity is living with integrity. It is keeping your word and promises. We should not make promises we cannot keep.  Being authentic is also about being true to who you are. John  says God is pure light, there are no shadows or hidden places. All is visible. 

To be authentic, one must have an appreciation of what is true. The truth is defined in this letter as the Word of Life.  The same Word that became flesh and dwelt among us in the Gospel of John.  The implication is, to be alive one must know and have the truth. Each of us must ask himself. or herself “Am I a true child of God, or am I a fake Christian? Are we walking in the light of word of life , in authenticity and truth

Truth and light are both liberating elements of life. In light one is better able to see.  When we don’t understand we say shed some light on this. or enlighten me. It makes the path and understanding clear. The truth sets you free. There is no more ambiguity or doubt. There is an assurance and confidence that you are doing right. Remember Thomas telling the other disciples I must see  Jesus for myself? I believe it is what Thomas was seeking to do, to remove from his own mind any doubt that Jesus was indeed alive.  It was important to him. He did not want to be professing some falsehood, because his friends thought this would provide stability or some other reason. I do believe that Thomas was the kind of person who never accepted second hand information readily. He needed to know for himself.  Maybe we should take a leaf out of Thomas’ book to be always questioning seeking a deeper understanding of God and Jesus. 

Let us pray for God to help us

1. To be true to God and ourselves.
2. To follow God’s guiding light as God’s light shine into the darkness on our path.
3. To be open to living a truly authentic life in the Jesus Way and
4. Even while questioning, drawing closer to God
5. May the mind of Christ our Saviour be with us and in us from day to day Amen