Light
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” –Matthew 5:14-16
What does it mean to be light? Light is one of those neat little aspects of reality that is hard to describe. It is not a particle or a wave but exhibits properties of both. Photons… We all know what light is, but rarely really think about it. C.S. Lewis once wrote a story about a man blind from birth that was medically given his sight. Anticipating the procedure all he could think about was seeing light for the first time. In the story he is never able to understand what light is. Is it the light fixture, a candle, or the sun?
Light is none of those things. To be light is to emanate from the source. As a Christian, or a church, we are not candles or lamps. We are light. We are supposed to shine.
It has been said, however, that often churches act more like black holes. We suck all the light in and trap it. When a person becomes a follower of Jesus, they slowly become absorbed in a Christian sub-culture. They cease to interact or know people who do not know Jesus. They cease to be light in the world.
If we are merely light emanating from a source, and that source is Jesus, we ought to emulate Him. He spent much of His time among the non-religious. He made waves by hanging out with sinners.
What does it mean to be light? Light is one of those neat little aspects of reality that is hard to describe. It is not a particle or a wave but exhibits properties of both. Photons… We all know what light is, but rarely really think about it. C.S. Lewis once wrote a story about a man blind from birth that was medically given his sight. Anticipating the procedure all he could think about was seeing light for the first time. In the story he is never able to understand what light is. Is it the light fixture, a candle, or the sun?
Light is none of those things. To be light is to emanate from the source. As a Christian, or a church, we are not candles or lamps. We are light. We are supposed to shine.
It has been said, however, that often churches act more like black holes. We suck all the light in and trap it. When a person becomes a follower of Jesus, they slowly become absorbed in a Christian sub-culture. They cease to interact or know people who do not know Jesus. They cease to be light in the world.
If we are merely light emanating from a source, and that source is Jesus, we ought to emulate Him. He spent much of His time among the non-religious. He made waves by hanging out with sinners.
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