light and darkness.

Ever noticed the theme of light and dark that shows up all throughout Scripture? The last few days (sparked by a discussion with my awesome small group on Tuesday night) I have been thinking about light and darkness.  I have been gravitating toward three passages:

Isaiah 9:2 - "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned."

Matthew 5:14-16 - "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 others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Philippians 2:14-16 - "Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation." Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain."

It is easy to look at the world around us and see the darkness - global poverty, genocide, ethnic cleansing, war, human trafficking, violence.  On and on the list of atrocities goes.  There is a lot of brokenness around us...a lot of darkness.  The temptation is to say that the world is without hope.  It's dark and getting darker.

But I refuse to say that, and for good reason, I think.  God sent his Son - the light of the world - into the world.  Those living in darkness have hope because of him.  Either Jesus is the light or his is not.  Either he can change lives or he can't.  We cannot have it both ways.  

Tom, one of our group members, made a good point the other night.  He said, "Just because Jesus can change the world does not mean the world will be changed."  Very true, Tom!  So how can the hope that Jesus offers to the world be realized?  Only when followers of Jesus let their light shine!  That's how light fills a dark world.

The only way for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.  The only way for darkness to win is for the light to be hidden or extinguished because those who have the light didn't let it shine for the world to see.

Christ followers let their light shine by doing good to those around them.  Whether that comes in the form of helping a neighbor with a project or providing a listening ear to a hurting friend or helping a village in East Africa get clean drinking water or rescuing girls from from the horror of sex slavery in Cambodia or a host of other good things, the good deeds we do are the practical ways we let the light of Jesus shine.  

And Jesus gives a promise...when we do those good deeds people will glorify our father in heaven.  When I hear that I hear hope.  It sounds to me like good deeds done in the name of Christ could change our world.  It sounds like light could win over darkness!