The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:5
There is something that mesmerizes me when flying at night. Love to see the lights down on the land from the sky. Beautiful lighting up the darkness. Like every time I have a night flight, I have a different revelation about the darkness and light. As our flight descended into Dallas, I opened my window shade and looked upon the lights.
The lights are often clustered together or lined up in the square around something while this might be good for the security, it does nothing for all the area of darkness in the area. It is beautiful from the sky, but the lights aren't really shining in the darkness, they surround it, or there are clusters of light within the darkness, but the darkness is still surrounding it.
Comprehend according to merriam-webster.com is to mentally grasp something's complete nature or meaning. It goes on to further state "that it is deeper than understanding, you can understand instructions but not comprehend their purpose." Looking at the lights from above, I understand they are there, but I can not comprehend their purpose. I don't know what the lights are trying to illuminate.
I think it is the same in the church. Our lights shine, but what are we really illuminating? Many in the church allow their lights to only shine in the areas with those of similar beliefs. They cluster their lights with other believers. They shine in the four walls of their congregation, and maybe in the immediate neighborhood. It lights up a specific area, but generally the church does little to dispel the darkness in the city. The light doesn't shine in the darkness, the light shines in the light.
Others are willing to go outside the walls. Generally just following the steps of others, creating a ring or square of lights in a certain area. People go out and minister to a specific area or need - feeding the homeless, ministering to those in addiction, single parents, etc. This also does little to help those in the middle of the darkness. People have to come to the light at a specific time, or at a specific place to receive from the light.
Could it be that the darkness of the world cannot comprehend God's light because we fail to the the Light into the darkness? Jesus sent the disciples out two by two.
Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. And He was saying to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Luke 10:1-3
Two little lights, in the midst of the darkness around them. Two little lights in various areas of a city, a state, a nation. Two little lights shining brightly in the darkness, going to where the lost are found. This is much different that what I have seen in any area, with the exception of witnesses that canvas a neighborhood from two particular denominations that may not share the same light.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we can't allow our light to shine only in our church congregation. Yes, we need to go outside the four walls, but not just for ministry, we are called to live our life as a light everywhere we go. We need to be a light in the darkness that surrounds us where ever we are.
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