God's light cannot be killed, destroyed, or imprisoned. The apostles are amazed to find themselves miraculously freed from prison - free to proclaim the new Life that Jesus Christ brings. The authorities clearly perceive that the message of Jesus is a threat to their power. But the word cannot be stopped - not only because of God's power, but because the apostles have lost their fear. People who fear nothing, even death, are truly free. Are we truly free to proclaim the Christian message? Or are we afraid of ridicule or rejection? Do we collapse in the face of obstacles, or do we truly believe that God will "open doors" for us?

Philosophers tell us that God does not have feelings. If that is the case, then the entire Bible is false! From beginning to end, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is a God passionately involved with humanity. John presents us with a God so in love with humanity and creation that He holds back nothing, even His beloved Son, in His effort to heal and restore us. In Jesus, He reveals God with a human face. Love itself becomes human and lives among us. We cannot despise or mistreat what God has loved so passionately. Humanity and the earth are precious in God's eyes, and they should be so in ours. There are many ways to accept this light. We express our faith in Jesus by focusing on what unites us to God rather than what divides us. God so loved the world, and so should we.