“And the earth was void and empty, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God moved over the waters. And God said: Be light made. And light was made. And God saw the light that it was good; and he divided the light from the darkness. And he called the light Day, and the darkness Night; and there was evening and morning one day.”
The earth was dark, covered in water, and possessed nothing to give it beauty: No light, richness, content, or life. It can be reasonably said that it is the life upon earth that gives it its true manner of being, and likewise it is the light, life, and fruits of love that give your life fullness and vibrancy: “Thy plants are a paradise of pomegranates with the fruits of the orchard” (Song 4:13). On the other hand, a life without love is void and empty; there is being, but it is dark, covered in the water of work, self-interest, or passion, but the Spirit moves upon the face of the waters, the merciful love of God desiring to bring life to the one that is in this darkness. As for darkness, this is not to say that God Himself dwelt in darkness, but that His light is of a different form: “Who only hath immortality, and inhabiteth light inaccessible, whom no man hath seen, nor can see” (1 Timothy 6:16); the Father dwells in the Word and the Word in the Father, bound by the Holy Spirit, all of this is the light of love: “Believe you not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?” (John 14:11). God then declared, “Be light made.” Ah, magnificent mystery! All that is to follow is to be the beauty you are privileged to behold, but none of this would be possible without light. The darkness scatters, just as hate melts away before love: “Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered: and let them that hate him flee from before his face” (Psalm 67:2). So too, at the word of God, the voice of Love, gloom, error, and all darkness are dispelled, that you may know how loved you are, and thereby be filled with the light of joy: “O clap your hands, all ye nations: shout unto God with the voice of joy” (Psalm 46:2). The light of love upon your life, which is represented by the earth, brings a particular beauty that can only be seen by the spiritual eye: “Whose adorning let it not be the outward plaiting of the hair, or the wearing of gold, or the putting on of apparel: but the hidden man of the heart” (1 Peter 3:3-4); “Behold thou art fair, O my love, behold thou art fair, thy eyes are as those of doves” (Song 1:14). God then said that it was good, or some translations saying, “Beautiful,” as an artist that finishes a work stands back, smiles, and is contented with the goodness of what he has brought forth: “And every man to whom God hath given… to enjoy his portion, and to rejoice of his labour: this is the gift of God” (Ecclesiastes 5:18). How grateful are you for light itself, which receives a testimony of goodness from God Himself? Consider the rejoicing that is warranted for that which allows you to see everything, which allows all that is visible to be appreciated, and if for no other reason, than because God says that it is good. He then divides the light from the darkness, in that He gave them the incapability of mixing, for where there is not light, there is darkness, and in the one place where God is not, that is, in the heart of one who refuses His love, there is no love: “From the sole of the foot unto the top of the head, there is no soundness therein: wounds and bruises and swelling sores” (Isaias 1:6). This is why “every one that doth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, that his works may not be reproved. But he that doth truth, cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, because they are done in God” (John 3:20-21). In the night are prowling creatures, acting in such a way that they may not be seen, whereas “darkness shall not be dark to thee, and night shall be light as the day” (Psalm 138:12). In the day are those that work fruitfully and confidently, dealing with their neighbor and living according to nature, and so it is with living according to love: It bears fruit, deals confidently, exchanges goodness with others, and is the fulfillment of the human person. Therefore, in many respects, God calls the darkness Night, the light Day, and the first day passes.