Blessed Shards of Light
Jesus says something quite extraordinary in today’s Gospel (as I hope the change of lighting might have signaled to you during Deacon John’s reading.) There is much in this passage that is familiar, perhaps too familiar to our practiced ears. Jesus uses the images of salt and light as metaphors for the way His followers are to act in the world around them. Salt adds flavor, richness - savoriness - to the food with which God nourishes our bodies. Salt has long been an important preservative of that food (and thus of human health.) It purifies, and surely anyone who lived near the Dead Sea at any time, knew of salt’s healing properties.
In every religion’s imagery, light signifies truth (vs. lies), good (vs. evil), that which enlightens …ignites! … (vs. that which obscures, confuses or deceives.) Light is one of the very first things God creates in the opening verses of Genesis. Seven hundred years before Christ, God tells the Israelites (through the prophet Isaiah) “I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” (Isa. 49:6b) God’s divine light provides Wisdom, Love and Truth for His people’s blessing and provision… as they reflect that light… as they participate in the spreading of His Kingdom to His eternal Glory.
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What Is and What Ought to Be
May my spoken word be true to God’s written word and bring us all closer to the living word, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Some years ago a roadside memorial popped up on the main road outside our neighborhood. Clearly there had been an accident and someone had died on that spot. There was a cross, lots of flowers, a few pictures and a few notes left for the decedent.
One evening I was driving by and noticed that two young men and a young woman were standing there. I stopped, identified myself as a pastor and asked about their friend. They told me he was a great guy, lots of life, with a great sense of humor.
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His Call, Our Choice
Often when we are trying to comfort or encourage someone we will say something like, “God’s got this.” That is true, of course. God has this. He has you. He has me. God is sovereign over everything there is, Amen! We draw that from the great arc of scripture, from the creation in genesis to the consummation of all things in the eternal Kingdom of God. God’s will ultimately wins out.
While we are to hold that hope and promise, as we move through time, our experience, our challenges, our tragedies and sorrows are very real. We live in a world that is filled with injustice, chaos, cruelty, hate, disobedience – which is to say drenched in sin. Don't think that everything that happens is therefore God’s will.
And that is the witness of scripture. Yes, God created everything and said it was good. That was at the end of the fifth day, still on page 1, maybe page 2 depending on your Bible. On the sixth day he created man and woman. Turn one more page and we are in trouble.
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