Bottom line up front: “That’s How the Light Gets In”

Introduction: One of my favorite songwriters is Leonard Cohen. He died in 2016, but his songs remain. “Hallelujah,” e.g., has been covered by countless performers. In Cohen’s song “Anthem” he has these wonderful lines:

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in

You can add up the parts
But you won’t have the sum
You can strike up the march
There is no drum
Every heart, every heart
To love will come
But like a refugee

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in

“That’s how the light gets in” is the refrain. Cohen was steeped in Scripture. I have a volume on my shelves at home of Cohen’s poetry. He had the mind of a theologian, the spirit of a poet, and an imagination set aflame by the muses.

How does the light get through? Well, it’s rooted in the fact that our world is spiritually broken. There are chinks in the armor. There’s a crack in everything, you see. Because this is a fallen world, we groan. “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Rom 8:22-23).

That’s how the light gets in, you see. Because we’re all spiritually broken, we need to be made whole. And how does that happen? Is it by bootstrap theology where we, Stuart Smalley-like, self-talk spiritual bromides in the mirror, muttering, “I’m good enough. I’m smart enough. And doggone it, people like me”? Um, no. Al Franken was hilarious as that character from SNL but that’s abysmal theology. Life’s too serious a matter for sweater vest sentimentality.

What Scripture Says: So, back to the question: How does the light get in? You remember the ending of Matthew, don’t you, when Jesus was crucified between two robbers?

And over his [Jesus’] head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross” (Mt 27:37-40).

Just when all seemed darkest, when the good appeared vanquished by Satan and the powers of hell, when darkness descended, guess what was happening? The light was breaking through, you see. How do we know? Well, the bodily resurrection occurred three days later, of course. But even before then, we have this marvelous verse 54 in Matthew 27:

When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and sad, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Mt 27:54). See what was happening? A hardened soldier, a Roman military man accustomed to witnessing crucifixions, was converted. Why? The light was breaking through, you see. That’s how the light gets in—one soul at a time.

Encouragement: Cohen’s song ends this way:

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in
That’s how the light gets in
That’s how the light gets in

Are you battling the darkness? That may be a good sign. Know why? Because that’s when the light gets in.