Men Of Darkness, Men Of The World

Lux in tenebris lucet, et tenebrae eam non comprehenderunt.  O homines, nolite esse tenebrae, nolite esse infideles, iniusti, iniqui, rapaces, avari, amatores saeculi: hae sunt enim tenebrae. Lux non est absens, sed vos absentes estis a luce. Caecus in sole praesentem habet solem, sed absens est ipse soli. Nolite ergo esse tenebrae. Haec est enim forte gratia, de qua dicturus sum, ut iam non simus tenebrae, et dicat nobis Apostolus: Fuistis enim aliquando tenebrae; nunc autem lux in Domino. Quia ergo non videbatur lux hominum, id est lux mentium, opus erat ut homo diceret de luce testimonium, non quidem tenebrosus, sed iam illuminatus. Nec tamen quia illuminatus, ideo ipsa lux; sed ut testimonium perhiberet de lumine. Nam non erat ille lux. Et quae erat lux? Erat lux vera, quae illuminat omnem hominem venientem in hunc mundum. Et ubi erat ista? In hoc mundo erat. Et quomodo in hoc mundo erat? numquid sicut ista lux solis, lunae, lucernarum, sic et ista lux in mundo est? Non. Quia mundus per eum factus est, et mundus eum non cognovit : hoc est, lux in tenebris lucet, et tenebrae eam non comprehenderunt. Mundus enim tenebrae; quia dilectores mundi, mundus. Num enim creatura non agnovit Creatorem suum? Testimonium dedit coelum de stella; testimonium dedit mare, portavit ambulantem Dominum ; testimonium dederunt venti, ad eius iussum quieverunt ; testimonium dedit terra, illo crucifixo contremuit : si omnia ista testimonium dederunt, quomodo mundus eum non cognovit, nisi quia mundus dilectores mundi, corde habitantes mundum? Et malus mundus, quia mali habitatores mundi: sicut mala domus, non parietes, sed inhabitantes. Sanctus Augustinus Hipponensis, In Evangelium Ionannis, Tractatus III

'The light shines in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.' 1   O men, do not be darkness, do not be faithless, unrighteous, iniquitous, rapacious, avaricious, lovers of this world; these indeed are the darkness. The light is not absent, but you are absent from the light. A blind man in sunlight has the sun present to him, but is himself absent from the sun. Do not, then, be darkness. For this is perhaps the grace regarding which we are about to speak, that now we should not be darkness, and that the Apostle may say to us, 'We were once darkness, but now light in the Lord.' 2  Because, then, the light of men was not seen, that is, the light of minds, it was necessary that a man should give testimony regarding the light, one who was not in darkness, but who was already enlightened; and nevertheless, because enlightened, not the light itself, 'But that He might bear witness to the light.' For 'he was not that light.' And what was the light? 'That was the true light which enlightens every man that comes into the world.' And where was that light? 'In this world it was.' 3And how was it in this world? Was it like the light of the sun, of the moon, and of lamps, was that light in the world? No. Because 'The world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not.' 4 That is: 'The light shines in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.' 5 For the world is darkness; because the lovers of the world are the world. Did not that which was created acknowledge its Creator? The heavens gave testimony by a star; the sea gave testimony, supporting the steps of the Lord; the winds gave testimony, at his order becoming still;  the earth gave testimony by trembling at his crucifixion. If all these gave testimony, how is it that the world not know Him, unless that the world is the lovers of the world, those who in their hearts dwell in the world? And the world is evil, because the inhabitants of the world are evil, just as a house may be evil, not because of the walls, but because of the inhabitants. Saint Augustine of Hippo, On the Gospel of John, Tractate 3  1. Jn 1.5 2 Ephes 5:8 3 Jn 1. 7-10 4 Jn 1. 10 5 Jn 1.5