The New Testament Reading this week is from the letter to the Ephesians, Ch. 5 vs 8-14. Paul wrote “for once you were darkness but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light—for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true”.
Where do we find the wisdom to know what is good and true? Where do we find the strength to be beacons of light amidst the darkness? Surely we need to find the Spirit of God that dwells within of each us.
The idea of ‘light’ ascribed to those who follow Jesus, those who seek to be heralds of the Kingdom of God, is a theme that echoes through the Gospels, Acts, and the letters of Paul.
Jesus said “Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify God” and that we should walk as children of the light.
We certainly live in a time where this there much darkness, much done even in the name of religion that needs to be exposed, that needs to have light shine on it. We must do the work to seek out what is good, what is right and what is true, and to celebrate what is good, right, and true.
Unfortunately, we live in a time where what is right and true is very often obscured by fake news, conspiracy theories, political spin masters, and outright fabrication by leaders of government and institutions we ought to be able to trust.
Almost daily we find someone in a leadership position exposed for working in the dark zone of secrets and then protesting their exposure with false denials. The current path called for is to ensure that there is adequate transparency.
The idea of truth has become fuzzy, subjective not objective. It has more to do with what one might feel than what one might know. ‘Truthiness’ has become the buzz word to describe this condition where facts seem to become irrelevant as compared to what one might want to believe.
Where do we find the wisdom to know what is good and true? Where do we find the strength to be beacons of light amidst the darkness? Surely we need to find the Spirit of God that dwells within of each us.
How do we find that Spirit? Perhaps through prayer, mediation, or observation. St. Francis said, “God is within all and all is within God”. That God is within us can lead us to challenge our understanding of God (to the extent that understanding is possible given the limits of language and our thinking) and to challenge how we understand God to interact with all of creation.
John Dominic Crossan, a noted writer, theologian and pastor wrote “You have been waiting for God (Jesus said), while God has been waiting for you. No wonder nothing is happening. You want God’s intervention, he said, while God wants your collaboration. God’s kingdom is here, but only in so far as you accept it, enter it, live it, and thereby establish it”.
While thinking about the reading and this reflection a some songs came to mind. Perhaps we know these from days gone by, from church school, or summer camp or even the radio in the case of the last one.
The first one:
This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine,
This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine,
This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine,
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
The second one:
Jesus wants me for a sunbeam, to shine for him each day,
Jesus wants me for a sunbeam, at home, at work each day,
A sunbeam, a sunbeam, Jesus wants me for sunbeam,
A sunbeam, a sunbeam, I’ll be a sunbeam for him.
And a third one which came while humming the first two:
Jesus bids us shine withe a pure clear light, like a little candle burning in the night,
In this world of darkness we must shine, you in your small corner and I in mine.
Finally from the Age of Aquarius, the musical Hair:
Let the sunshine, let the sunshine, the sunshine in.
Seems to be a definite theme here.