It was my privilege early this morning to transport a dear brother to the airport as he made his way toward a mission initiative we are sponsoring in Nicaragua. As we took our early morning journey eastward toward the airport, the moon was noticeably bright. We both were enjoying, at least I was, this limited and undistracted time together. Yet, in a rare moment of silence as I pondered this late quartered lunar disc, it occurred to me just how much attention is often given to what is of course the more apparent sector of the moon, that which is fully illuminated by the sun.
My mind, always thinking bigger picture it seems and generally interested in how others might view the same things differently than myself, I asked my friend a sort of half full- half empty approached question about what he was seeing? His response brought on a thrilling discussion that I must now capture. Rather than first seeing the side illuminated by the sun, he brought my attention to the side illuminated by the earth. Yes, if one looks closely at the moon, the entire disc is usually evident, with the portion away from the sun projecting only minimal secondary light, earlier reflected from the earth, it too received originally from the sun.
Both of us began giving considerable thought to what this astronomical metaphor of the Son might mean, in terms of the current and most necessary transformation occurring among churches; a conversation which may now be occurring in your own mind?
You see, the earth absorbs so much light for its own needs, that it affords minimal light for reflection and illumination of this otherwise barren rock we call the moon. The questioned begged: just how much of God’s grace and resources are absorbed by the church for our own personal needs? If so, how much of His great love remains to be seen and felt by those who walk in the cold darkness of sin and thus most need His grace?
The church must be an adeqaute reflection of the Son or sufficient light for our darkness is diminished.
John 8:12:
12Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. KJV
John 9:5:
5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. KJV
John 12:36:
36While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. KJV
John 1:5: 5 That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not (could not) overcome it, grasp, or comprehend, overtake or extinguish it. (Holman)
The Son is the light of the world, yet He chose us as a lesser light, privileged to bask in the full exposure of His warmth and light, yet chosen to reflect it toward those still in darkness.
1 John 2:7-11: 7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command, but an old command that you have had from the beginning. The old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.
9 The one who says he is in the light but hates his brother is in the darkness until now. 10 The one who loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness, walks in the darkness and doesn’t know where he’s going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. (Holman)
How much of the light is absorbed by our own needs, absolving our sins, versus being fully reflected and undimmed toward others.
“Ye are the light of the world…,” don’t allow your needs, or your church’s needs to “bushel” the Light of the world!