Listening to the Multilingual God: John's PrologueSample

"He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light."

—John 1:8

In this verse, the theme of light is picked up again. In John 1:5, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.", the light is described as an antidote to and victor over darkness—God's presence in the form of Jesus entering a world full of darkness to enlighten it. That's an incredibly powerful image that should make every believer celebrate.

Light has many additional darkness-defeating attributes. Light illuminates our paths —it allows us to see the way ahead and confidently move toward a future with God. Light illuminates our understanding—that which was hidden from our comprehension, God's love for us, is suddenly bright and apparent. Light illuminates us as followers of Christ—not to glorify ourselves, but to give testimony of the one who enlightens us.

In Tenango Otomi (spoken in Mexico), another image is used to illustrate a distinct facet of the light as "that one who opens the hearts of the people." In the first part of verse 5, Tenango Otomi says, "He who gives the new life is like a light that opens the hearts of the people."

This Otomi translation is moving and challenging. Jesus is the light who opens the hearts of the people. Has Jesus' light opened your heart to his truth and love? Are there parts of your heart that are still closed off from his light? Spend time today basking in the light of Jesus, asking him to open up any closed-off parts of your heart and flood them with his light. 

I encourage you to discover hundreds more insights via translation into other languages by using the Translation Insights & Perspectives tool at  tips.translation.bible as a regular companion in your Bible studies.