“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 English Standard Version)
I have a neighborhood app on my cellphone. Everything appears on that app, items for sale, garage sale announcements, lost and found pets messages, questions wondering about new construction taking place in the nearby neighborhood, personal ads where singles of all ages are looking for romance, and there are all “for free” items postings. There are also real-time messages about crime events in the nearby area.
Earlier this week there was a flash bulletin from the app mentioned above. It came across the screen of my cellphone in bold lettering. It informed me that a person had been shot at one of the stores I shop at frequently, only about .03 mile away from my residence. My reaction was not fear, nor did I regulate the store to my “Ain’t shopping there, no more” list. But looking through a different prism, based on the scriptures above, a different thought raised up in my thinking. I started thinking about the times when I was doing homework with a low-watt lamp or a flashlight, back in my college days, and my one of my parents would say, “Turn on the light!” The intent behind their command was that I would be better off than trying to be a good student in the darkness that surrounded me.
Yes, I continued processing my thoughts and posed a question in the confines of my mind, “Wasn’t there someone in that person’s house or network of positive people who knew Jesus, a person that should have turned on the light and kept them from the darkness that communicated that gun violence was the way to resolve conflict?”
Here is what I think, and I believe my thinking is appropriate and accurate. It’s important that we turn on the light, not only in our homes, but everywhere we go, so that people will come out of darkness into the marvelous light. Remember who you are, my friend. You are the light of the world. Shine brightly! May the Lord continue to shine on you! Be blessed!
“The Lord bless thee and keep thee: the Lord make his face shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee: the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26 King James Version)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King
I am the light that others may see Christ through me. While I haven’t also realized that letting my light shine is another way for evangelism, now I recognize how crucial that component is in my everyday life.
That suggests another meditation focus, “The Crucial Light!” Be blessed!