Bringing Your Candle

Do you ever wonder how far reaching an impact you may have on the world?

I am often surprised when I discover the vast array of contact some people have.  Now I am not talking about followers on Facebook or LinkedIn.  I mean people they actually know personally, people they can call up and talk to.

These are ordinary people, not celebrities.  (I do not know any celebrities.)

With such a vast number of connections, imagine what they could do.

I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. Isaiah 49:6b

This morning's prayers begin with this statement from Isaiah.  Long before social media, we had an image of God's saving grace flowing to all the people of the world as pure and as straight as light travels through darkness.

We believe the light he is talking about is Jesus, but what would Jesus have said about that?

Without the involvement of his followers, the light he brought to earth would have flickered and died long ago.  It takes work to keep the candles lit, to pass them along the path and to make them bright enough to sustain life.

Are we doing our part?

We live in a time when everyone can be a broadcaster, sending messages like this reflection out into the world, never knowing how far they reach of who, if anyone, is influenced by them.  Like John, we continue to be voices in the wilderness.

What sets us apart is when those voices influence other voices, and the message begins to flow like a stream and then a river.

We all have influence.  Someone out there is listening and may be making decisions based on what we say or how we say it.  So, the first message is to continue using our voices, to continue to be candles in the darkness.

But it goes farther than that.

If we go through all the trouble to bring the light, shouldn't we put it to use? Now that we are in the light, we can do things we could not do in the darkness.  We are not just called to speak out; we are called to act.

And that action should be contagious.  We should not be uncomfortable asking those we serve to pass along the message and serve others.

It is how the chain becomes unbroken.  It is how the world lights up.  So, the challenge of this new year is one of action.  What can we do now that the light shines through us?  Whom can we invite to join us?  How can we move the light farther down the road?

All that takes personal contact, not just likes and emoji.  

So, I had better wrap this up and get moving.  There is work to be done and I need to bring a candle so we can begin.

More to come...