Monday, August 15, 2022

Can't be Sunlight?

 

Be the Moon

“We are not called to be the sun. We are called to be the moon.”

          In her sermon yesterday, Pastor Peggy of Trinity Church, Conover, NC preached from the scripture in which Jesus called himself the “light of the world,” (John 8:12) and then, during the Sermon on the Mount, he said that we, too, should be the light of the world. (Matt 5:16) We are told to let our light shine, rather than hide it. The fact is, we are not THE light; but we are a reflection of the light if we choose to be.

          All of us know what is ethical; we know right from wrong. We know that doing unto others what we want done unto us is just a basic principle of human civilization. It’s not a high-holy, spiritual concept, it’s just basic human decency. As a reflection of creation’s light, we can choose to do what is right or what is wrong. In fact, we do it with decisions we make every day.

On 60 minutes last night, Scott Pelley interviewed a private citizen who provided 10-million dollars for all the kids and their parents at one South Side Chicago public school to go to college. He recruited other billionaires to do the same thing, and together they accomplished what no government agency has. That’s a good way to let your light shine if you happen to be a billionaire, but happily, there are other, smaller, but equally important ways to shine.

          As a reflection of the light of goodness, we are expected to treat one another as light-bearers, too. No matter who we are, we carry the same light of the Creator within us. We’re like little pieces of a broken mirror; no matter how large or small, we all have the same degree of reflectivity, because we are all part of the same whole.

          Today, whenever you encounter another human being, regardless of the differences between the two of you, know that they reflect the light of creation just as you do. Treat them as you would like to be treated. Something as simple as that will make the world a better place.

                                                  In the Spirit,

                                                  Jane

No comments: