Being Light

What would it be like to be a part of a church that you would describe as a "light"? 

Now I am not talking about just a dim 40 watt bulb here, I am talking about those lights that you see shining up into the sky as celebrities walk down the red carpet, or the lights that point up from some of the casinos in Las Vegas.  There is some serious candle power going on here.  These are lights that are noticed!

What kind of light would be shining out of a church that was really following Jesus?  Would it be the kind that grabs everyone's attention?  Would it be the kind that causes people to stop in their tracks and gaze in wonder?  Or might it be different than that?

There are many kinds of light that shine around us all the time, and much it we are oblivious to.  For example, our eyes are not able to see ultra-violet light unless they are aided by external equipment.  I wonder if there is something here that is important for followers of Jesus to consider?

In Isaiah 58 we are shown what God considers necessary for the shining of 'light'.  He describes followers who are willing share food with people who are hungry; providing shelter for people who have no place to go; people who are in need of clothing being provided with these basic necessities; basically, God is saying to His church "take care of people in need", and then He says, "and if you do this, your 'light will break forth like the dawn.'" (verse 8).

Do we have the eyes to see this light?

It seems to me that people or organizations who make it their business to help the poor and needy are not really the ones that make the news at 6.  Sure, they may get some airplay around Christmas time, but normally these are not the kinds of 'lights' that get noticed, and they are certainly not the kinds of lights that make people stop in their tracks!  Those lights are reserved for the superstars, the wealthy, those that are 'connected', the ones who know how to network and get their message out; the influential, the powerful--all the things that make our culture tick.  And usually not things that we associate with church.

Do we have the eyes to see the light God is telling us will shine if we do the things He asks of us? 

I think we struggle to see.  And because of that, we also struggle to value what God sees as 'light'.  Certainly, no one in the Family of God would say that it is wrong to care for the poor and hungry, but we are probably guilty of sometimes thinking that these are the things that we do on the side--they are not central to our mandate.  And I would agree to some extent--I too think that doing these things is not everything the church should be about, but if we look closely, I think what is being talked about in Is. 58 is not primarily about giving us a specific checklist of 'to do's' here, but is instead a blueprint of where our hearts and attitidues should be.  If we have hearts that care about what God cares about, then His light will shine through us in amazing ways.

I need help to adjust my 'spiritual Ray-Bans' so I can see God's light for what it really is--beautiful, and maybe subtle; life-changing, but maybe not so news-worthy; magnificent, but in the sense of following the example of a Servant-King.

Jesus, our eyes need help.  Show us the way, but then also help us to walk in this way.  We want to see your light shine through us.  Retrain us to think according to what you value, not what we value.  Show us the very center of your heart, but do so in such a way that it breaks through all the layers of our self-deception.

Cause our hearts to long for the break of day. . .

BT