Being a Light to the World

Matthew 5:14-16

Jesus said: ‘You are like light for the whole world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl; instead we put it on the lamp-stand where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, your light must shine before others, so that they will see the good things that you do and praise God in heaven.’

I love this text because of the imagery of light. Whenever I ask a child to light a candle in worship they are very excited. Perhaps they like the idea of playing with fire. Or, perhaps we all have a deeply ingrained attraction to a flame of light.

Evening services are wonderful opportunities to use candles and gaze into depths of wonder and mystery in a flame. For instance, during Taize services people are moved by lighting a candle as they offer a prayer. And at the end of a Christmas Eve midnight service, gathering in one large circle with no lights except hand-held candles, and singing Silent Night, Holy Night, is a moment of spiritual bliss.

And yet, this scripture is not just about the wonder of light. It's about the wonder of US being light--light in the world. Aye, there's the rub!

Can I ask an adult to light a candle in worship? Sure, no problem. Can I ask an adult to BE a light in the world? Ooooooh, not so much.

Why do we shrink from believing we are fabulous? Would we say to anyone else, "Do you realize how mediocre you are?" Would we tell someone, "You'd better stay in the background because you are not very good."? If we don't imagine saying those things to others, why do we say them to ourselves using our little niggling inner critic? That critical voice is certainly not the voice of God.

Poet Yvonne Morland says it well:

God waits silently


in our inner recesses,


the chambers of our soul,

gazing lovingly 
on our treasure,


awaiting our response.

With that in mind, let's really believe that today Jesus is saying directly and personally to me, to you, to each person we know, and whole lot of people we don't know, 

"You are like light for the whole world. 
Your light must shine before others 
so that they will see the good things that you do 
and praise God in heaven."

Our Advent Exploration question for today is: How will you let your light shine today?

And a Little Child Shall Lead Them

Isaiah 11:6

The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.

Yes, it’s Isaiah again! Not only do I find the text rich in images, I also find others who are inspired by the imagery such as the artist who created this image:

Some of the art has a sweetness that I find cloying like William Strutt's depiction:

And Charles Christian Nahl adds an over-the-top detail with a crown of roses:

I prefer James Johnson's approach that seems a little more life-like.

And Andy Boerger's drawing suits me much more with a little bit of fun thrown in.

When I wonder cynically whether adults carry the innocence of children too far, I'm reminded of infant baptism at Beach United. Once the words of baptism are spoken, we carry the baby throughout the congregation to be greeted by everyone. I have the privilege of seeing faces filled with joy and eyes brimming with tears as they look with delight at a young child being celebrated in our midst. Perhaps we are reminded of the child within ourselves. Perhaps we are renewed in hope.

On the other hand . . . 

 Our Advent Exploration question for today is: What's your sense of a child's place in your life or in our world?