John 1:4-5

Jo 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

The life of which John speaks is a life of freedom, safety, comfort and fulfilment. It is a life completely outside the experience of most individuals and far beyond what most people can understand or relate to. It was the sole purpose for which Jesus came (John 10:10). For those who walk therein, this abundant life is filled with opportunity and love and fellowship with God and other people of “like - precious - faith.” For those who participate, this life is literally light. They can know the values with which to govern their existence, They can know with whom to partner. They can know what projects they can best preform to further the cause of the Kingdom of God. They can know these and all the other essential things that make life worth living.
The word shine comes from the Greek word phaino which suggest that the shine is bigger than the darkness through which it shines. The darkness can ignore it or avoid it but it cannot stop it. The light is there and it will not go away. It will make no adjustment. The light is real regardless of the darkness or the fog or the pain or the confusion. The light is always there and it is always available for those willing to walk therein.
The word for comprehend is katalambano, which means to take hold of, to seize, to apprehend. To comprehend is not a good translation. This is not about understanding. This is about control, and the light that shines cannot be controlled or intimidated by any outside force. One gets the sense that John is talking about the struggle between good and evil, between light and darkness, between faith and fear, between what will work and what won’t work, between what will contribute to the Kingdom and what will work in the other direction. And John wants to be clear that it is the enemy that must adjust. The light will shine no matter what even if there is no one there to see it.