GO WITH THE GLOW

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 NIV
 

The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. John 1:5 NIV
 

Darkness will never understand light—but what about the captives of that darkness? Men and women and children groping a way through impenetrable darkness to the Light who is life, the Light no human can understand.
 

They must see the Light and come to it if they're to live—but how can they when they're blinded by the darkness?
 

We’re it, Christians. Tiny candles shining through vast stretches of darkness. Sometimes it’s pretty tempting to crouch under one of those handy bowls.
 

Yeah, if we go low profile and put our candles under a bowl, we have the illusion of safety—but there’s a second consequence. Our flames will flicker and die for lack of air.
 

What is our light, our breath? The Spirit of God living in us. We are not alone with our burden.
 

We have to kick that bowl and the fear that pushes us under it back into the darkness it came from.
 

Never forget. He who is in us is greater than the Prince of Darkness who is in the world. Give light and hope fearlessly to the captives, that they may see the way of escape.
 

Avi, You are the Light of the world—but the darkness is growing. The world cannot see Your light, except through the cracks in these vessels of clay that we are. Too often, all they seem to see is our brokenness.
 

What an awful responsibility You’ve left to us tiny candles! 
 

Hold us high, Avi, and light the way.
 

In Your holy name, Amen.