Shining Brightly for Christ

Light is a pervading theme in the Bible. It is among the first words that come from God’s mouth: “Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.” (Genesis 1). John opens his Gospel reminding us that, “What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1). And, among the final words in the Bible, we are reminded that in the end of days “there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” (Rev 22:5)

 

There is something majestic and powerful, yet mysterious and interesting about light. We can’t touch it, but we know it is there—we even feel it on a warm sunny day or when the fireplace calls us near in the winter. We don’t realize how much rely on it until the power goes out and we are faced with the dark. We certainly take it for granted, forgetting that life simply will not exist without it. Biblically speaking, light presents an amazingly beautiful metaphor for our faith. Faith is not tangible, but we sure can feel it. We don’t realize how much we need our faith until we forsake it. We definitely take faith for granted, and a life lived without faith is like living in the dark. Light and faith have an undeniable connection. Perhaps that is why we hear it at the beginning, throughout and in the final words of the Bible.

 

When each of us accepts Christ, the Holy Spirit begins to live in our heart. The same light that illuminated the apostles’ heads on Pentecost, glows inside every believer. Also, like the apostles, we are not supposed to keep this light hidden, but are called to shine brightly, like a beacon on a hill. Don’t hide the love that Christ shares with you. Let’s stop assuming that it is someone else’s job to share Christ’s love with others. Let’s stop listening to the voices inside of us that evoke shame, anxiety, and ambivalence. The reality is simple. People will generally listen to the loudest voice in the room. If our voice does not carry that presence, they will listen to whatever noise they hear. I don’t want my faith or that of my family to mistake social media, television, or any other unfiltered, pop-culture noise as the truth. I want to be a light that shows them the way so they can be that same light for others. One by one we have the power to spark a chain reaction, but only if we share the light!