You are the light of the world. 

“A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” 

-Jesus

A light has one job, “to shine!” This is what God wants you to do in the world. “Emit light.”

Now before you feel some kind of burden come over you let me just tell you that this is not something you muster up.

A light shines because it is the nature of light to do so.

The only thing you are commanded here to do is not HIDE the light. Don’t put it under your desk (at work), don’t put it in your backpack (at school), don’t be ashamed of the light (in the entertainment industry), don’t dim the light (in your home), and choose to leave the light on (in your neighborhood). Let it shine!

Second, You ARE the light! You do not become the light. God has placed his light in you and upon you; you cannot escape it. You might think of this light as the light of the Holy Spirit that radiates wherever you go in this dark world.

Your presence in LA is illuminating.

Imagine being a shining light for God in one of the greatest most influential cities in the world. Imagine being a source of brightness in this landscape of millions of people living in darkness. Now stop imagining and accept that you are that light for others. 

Now this doesn’t mean you are perfect. As the poet musician Leonard Coen sang: 

“Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There is a crack, a crack in everything

That’s how the light gets in.”

It is actually your broken and cracked life that God decides to place his light in. It’s the patterns of the cracks that make the beauty when the light shines through them. Just don’t cover it up.

This does not mean you need to preach your faith to everyone either. Instead, make friends, influence their lives with light and let God provide the opportunity for a non-judgmental spiritual conversation or a non-pushy invite to church. Try to be a solution, a safe place, a person of kindness in a world of selfishness.

As you live, work, play, relate, serve and love others in LA,

God will draw people to his light to brighten up

their darkness. 

Look how the Apostle Paul put it:

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as light to the world.”

-Phillipians 2:14-15

A prayer for us to pray today:

Father of lights

Your Son is the light

Your Spirit shines within us

May we shine for you

Bring your light to our neighbors

Amen.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Harvey