Light

Read Matthew 5:13-16.

For the last few weeks, my driveway has only been half-lit. One of the bulbs on the lamps in front of our house had burnt out, and it was too cold (in my estimation) to get the ladder out, take off the metal thumbscrews and change out the bulb. Granted, it would only take a few minutes, but my mind kept telling me it was too cold. The temperature outweighed the need for light.

Of course, that meant we had to keep putting up with more darkness than we were used to when we came in at night. We had to figure out how to do things with less light than we should have had. And as I thought about those bulbs (from the comfort of my warm house), it occurred to me that's exactly the way the world works today: with less light than it should have.

We Christians today tend to most often take the stance of "cursing the darkness" rather than lighting the light. We complain about the sin in the world, all the while keeping to ourselves in our safe enclaves. Christian schools, Christian bookstores, Christian music, even Christian breath mints (I'm not kidding). And there's nothing wrong with those things (well, I'm not sure about the breath mints) unless they are used to "keep us safe" and away from the world, so that we will not be touched by the darkness around us. We'll complain about it, but don't ask us to venture out. We'll stay safe and sound inside where we have our own little light, thank you very much!

Yet, Jesus calls us to go. That was his last commission to us, and the order still stands. He told us that the church is called to be salt and light—LIGHT. Rather than curse the darkness and complain about the sinfulness of the world, Jesus calls us to be lighting candles, changing out burnt bulbs (spiritually speaking) and shining his light into a world that has become dark precisely because we've failed to shine enough light into it. Yes, it's easier to stay in the enclave and keep the light for ourselves, but when we do that, the world just gets darker and darker and darker. Is that the kind of world we want to live in? Better yet—is that the kind of world Jesus calls us to build?

Church, it's our calling: get beyond the safe four walls and shine the light of Jesus! When darkness—in the form of predatory industries, evil people or questionable laws—threatens to encroach, Christian people need to shine the light into that darkness. When our neighbors stumble and fall because they can't see where they should be going, when they make bad choices because they don't know what the right choices are—where is the church? Shine the light—be the light—be the church!

Now, I've got to get that bulb changed in my driveway...

Comments

  1. I went to Lifeway a few days ago and there were an entire rack of Christian candies and breath mints! We can make such a difference in the world. The light has to come from Him and, as Christians, we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Great post.

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