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诗篇36篇同时提到光和生命，这一点也不令人意外。大部分生物都需要光才能生存——纵使不是直接需要，也会间接需要它。所以光和生命是相辅相成的。

神是所有的光和生命的源头。在圣经记载的第一个创世的事件中，（参创 1）起初到处只有黑暗，直至神说：“要有光。”当有了这光，生命便开始出现了。在圣经末后记载的新创造的叙事中，（参启 22:1-5）那里没有黑暗，只有神的光和结果不止的生命树。耶稣来了。被钉在死亡的树上的祂，是世界的光，那光就是我们的生命。耶稣说：“跟从我的，就不在黑暗里走，必要得着生命的光。”（参约 8:12）

我写这篇文章时，阴沉的冬天已临近了；然而，每一个冬天，不论是多么忧闷和阴沉，终必会让位给春天的光和生命。同样，藉着十架上的死，耶稣战胜了黑暗和死亡，祂藉着复活，又以神的创造中复苏更新的春光普照大地。我们如今仍然要暂且等候，然而时候将到，到那时将不再有黑暗和死亡——只有光明和生命！

Psalm 36 speaks about light and life in the same breath. No wonder. Most creatures need light to live—if not directly, then at least indirectly. So light and life go together.

All light and all life have their source in God. In the Bible's first creation story (Genesis 1), there is only darkness until God says, "Let there be light." Under that light, life emerges. In the Bible's final new-creation story (Revelation 22:1-5), there is no darkness but only God's light and an ever-fruitful tree of life.

And then there is Jesus. Crucified on a tree of death, he is the light of theworld. And that light is our life. Jesus says, "Whoever follows me will neverwalk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12).

As I write this, the darkness of winter is approaching. But every winter, no matter how dark and gloomy, gives way to the light and life of spring. In thesame way, by his death on the cross Jesus defeated darkness and death, andby his resurrection he shines the springtime light of God's new creation over the horizon. We still have to wait awhile. But the time is coming when there will be no darkness and no death—only light and life!