Light to the world!

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Gen 1:3 

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, יְהִי אוֹר; וַיְהִי-אוֹר

Light is mentioned at the very beginning of the Bible as the first work of creation of our God, God of Israel.

Perhaps the most majestic interpretation of this verse is in the oratorio Creation by Joseph Haydn, when after the amazing chaos praised by Leonid Bernstein as a masterpiece of classical music the LIGHT explodes with such power, that the ladies in Vienna dropped their fine hats in the first performance directed by Haydn himself (laughing at heart at the memorable effect let there be LIGHT had at the audience).

And indeed, light is such a fundamental thing of creation that modern science and technology is largely based on our understanding of what light is and our search for knowledge about light. Since late 19th century the study of all forms of electromagnetic radiation have been at the center of scientific research.

Our own Sun is radiating light that makes our days so lovely, from early morning Eos (Aurora) to the blue moments of the evening. So powerful and impressive that ancients have worshiped Sun as a god and the Pharaoh called himself humbly the Sun god Ra ruling his people as absolutely as the Sun rules the skies of Egypt and going at his death to West to join the bark.

Labarum in a coin minted by Constantine the Great

Sun was worshiped as his favorite also by Emperor Constantine the Great whom Christ won at the bridge of Milva with a vision in our star in hoc signo vinces (it was the labarum Rho Xhi rather than a cross as we can see in Constantine's coins).

The survival of an oratorio to the Sun by Julian the Apostasis is an amazing document about the futile darkness of late Roman Sun theology!

Light is the principal subject in all astronomy. With its enormous speed it still takes millions of years for light to reach us from the distant galaxies and stars. There is no other way to study them but to see as much as possible in that light.

And much we have learned about God's great world by studying cosmic radiation and all ranges of light reaching us from deep space. Much we have learned about the structure of the Universe by studying light.

Absolute Astronomy seeking the truth

Indeed, let there be light, light of Truth!
 
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 
John 1:1-5 NIS