One of the truly great hymn writers in American history was Philip Bliss. American church music was mostly English church music in the 1700s and 1800s. Then, some writers came along and began writing music that reflected the American Christian experience. Fanny Crosby and Philip Bliss were two of the best and these two collaborated many times. Crosby wasn’t much at writing the actual music, but was wonderful at writing the words. Bliss wrote the music for many of her songs. But he was also very good with words. One of his lesser known works is one of my favorites.

The Light of the World is Jesus

The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin,
The Light of the world is Jesus!
Like sunshine at noonday, His glory shone in;
The Light of the world is Jesus!

Chorus
Come to the light, ’tis shining for thee;
Sweetly the light has dawned upon me;
Once I was blind, but now I can see:
The Light of the world is Jesus!

No darkness have we who in Jesus abide;
The Light of the world is Jesus!
We walk in the light when we follow our Guide!
The Light of the world is Jesus!

Ye dwellers in darkness with sin-blinded eyes,
The Light of the world is Jesus!
Go, wash at His bidding, and light will arise;
The Light of the world is Jesus!

No need of the sunlight in Heaven we’re told;
The Light of the world is Jesus!
The Lamb is the Light in the city of gold,
The Light of the world is Jesus!

          Now a lot of people would look at that and say, “What is the big deal?” A worthy question, and in that is our story.

          A week before Christmas, 1984. Do you remember where you were or what you were doing? I do. Seminary. Pastoring a small country church in the Panhandle of Florida. Working full time at a Firestone just off I-10. The third Tuesday evening of each month our local association of our denomination had a pastor’s meeting. So, the week before Christmas, 1984 found me at the biggest church in our association for a meeting we didn’t need to have. I seriously did not want to go to this thing. What free time I did have I wanted to spend with my family, but the wife of the pastor of the biggest church in our association had baked a lot of cookies and had prepared a huge plate for each pastor. Of course, I wanted my wife and son to have some cookies for Christmas (I don’t care for them myself). So, I went to the meeting. As a bonus, the pastor gave each of us a nice fruit basket, too. All in all, a nice haul.

          I recall it as a chilly night for Florida. No snow, of course, but in the 30s. The meeting was short but it was still fully dark as we walked out to our cars. We all bid each other a Merry Christmas and off we went. I lived over forty miles away in the deep country, so I fortified myself with a couple of cookies. Nice night for a drive. Big plate of cookies and a fruit basket. I had a smile on my face.

          I had just got on the country road that led home when I met another car. The old cars had the dimmer switch on the floor and you dimmed your bright lights by pressing the switch with your left foot. I did so and the two cars passed. When I pressed the switch again for the brights, the switch went through the rusted floor and broke the wires and clattered to the road. (I drove old cars because that is what I could afford) When that happened, all my lights went out. Headlights, taillights, running lights. Gone. A very dark night on a twisting and turning country road. I couldn’t see a thing.

          I got off to the side of the road. There was no way I could continue. It was cloudy so the moon was only out occasionally. I didn’t travel that road much. Of course, I had no phone. (no cellphones yet) Marsha was going to be worried and I had the cookies and fruit to get home. I helped myself to a cookie and pondered my situation.

          After a bit, car came up behind me. I saw him coming from a long way behind, and when he passed, I could see well down the road because of his headlights. Of course! I would wait for another car, then fall in behind that car and drive with their lights. Piece of cake. Which I did when the next car came along.

          When the car passed me, I could see it was a woman in the glow of her cigarette. It was really pretty easy to follow her if I stayed close enough. But, about a mile into this, she realized there was a car close behind her with no lights on. She picked up speed. I had to pick up speed, too. She went faster. I went faster. Pretty soon she was flying down that road. Having bald tires, I decided to back off and wait for another car. I pulled off, got a cookie and waited.

          It took about ten minutes and a truck came along. Couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman since the driver was not smoking, but I pulled in behind them. Again, it was fine for about a mile, but then the driver realized there was a car there with no lights. Again, we went through the whole speed up thing until I felt I needed to slow down. 70 mph was the limit of that car. At 70 it was shaking so hard the cookies were rattling. I pulled over and waited again.

          There were about eight vehicles that night that had the snot scared out of them. When the moon would come out from the clouds, I would proceed by moonlight. Otherwise, I waited for a passing motorist. It took a long time to get home. When I finally got to the house, every light was on as well as the porch light. I got my plate of cookies and the fruit basket together and trudged to the front door. It had scared Marsha when she saw a darkened car pull in, but then she saw it was me and she was waiting at the front door. “Where have you been? I have been so worried!” So, I set my burdens down and explained. She listened. Her only comment during the story was, “You must have scared those people to death!” When I was finished, she shook her head and sat back. “So, tell me. Why did she give you such a big plate with so few cookies?”

          A week before Christmas in 1984 I needed light. I was looking for light anywhere I could. It was just a fleeting thing, then it was gone. Life was very, very hard on that drive home. In the larger sense, the whole world was in darkness. There needed to be a light in the darkness. Humanity was looking for a light. Wise men to the far east were searching. Old people in their house of worship were searching. Shepherds on a hillside were searching. People everywhere were searching desperately for a light in their own way.

          Then, in a small town crammed with people, a lonely and near panicked couple stumbled into a barn. She was heavy with child. The man walked her to a pile of straw and made her as comfortable as he could. His heart pounding, he had to be wondering how he would pull this delivery off. It really was not his specialty. But they managed. And suddenly, there was a Light born into the world, and everything changed.

The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin,
The Light of the world is Jesus!
Like sunshine at noonday, His glory shone in;
The Light of the world is Jesus!

Chorus
Come to the light, ’tis shining for thee;
Sweetly the light has dawned upon me;
Once I was blind, but now I can see:
The Light of the world is Jesus!

          Merry Christmas to each and every one of you.