In today’s Old Testament reading, the Prophet Isaiah is telling the people of Israel who were living during a very dark time of exile, away from their homes, fearful of an uncertain future, “I will give you as a light to the nations.”
I wonder how the people who first heard this reacted. My first thought probably would have been, “Wait, we’re the ones who are in darkness. How can we be a light for others when our own light has been snuffed out?”
Fair enough question. You’ve probably wondered the same thing if you have been on this journey of faith for any length of time. We all go through times of darkness where we can’t see ahead. We believe in God. We pray. We go to church. But sometimes, we face these seasons of darkness.
You would think that God would have said to Isaiah, “My people are in darkness. Share my light of hope with them.” Instead, God is saying, “Tell them to be a light to the nations and remind them that they are called to be the light.”
Called to be the light? Maybe if I had some light to give! Can’t give what I don’t have myself!
This is the question we are left with today. How can we be the light when we’re in darkness ourselves?
I usually don’t give the answer up front during the sermon because I need to fill out these fifteen minutes, but I think the answer is found in the very beginning of our scripture reading in verse 1: “The Lord called me before I was born while I was in my mother’s womb he named me. He made my mouth like a sharp sword in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away. And he said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’”
“The Lord called me before I was born.” Maybe the light that we are supposed to be sharing with others is in us whether we realize it or not. Maybe it’s all part of being born in the image of God.
Several years ago, I conducted a wedding at a venue in Columbus. During the reception, a couple came up to me and told me that they were members of a church that I had previously served.
Honestly, I didn’t remember them right away, but as they continued to reintroduce themselves to me, I began to vaguely remember them. They told me that when I was their pastor, they were going through a difficult time in their lives, and that I had shared something during a sermon that offered them the hope they needed to overcome that challenge they were facing.
They said that they had always meant to share this with me but they never were given the opportunity until now at this chance meeting at this wedding. I could tell by the look in their eyes, that they were very appreciative of how God spoke to them through me.
For the life of me, I couldn’t remember what sermon that would have been, but it didn’t matter. That conversation reminded me that we can be the light for others whether or not we are aware that God’s light is shining through us.
I know of many pastors who have shared similar stories of how they had no clue what an impact they had in someone’s life. And this is true for all of us where we may never know how God shines through us to bring a little light to someone’s darkness. God called us before we were born to shine God’s light in our own unique ways.
I wouldn’t be a pastor today if it wasn’t for a Mennonite preacher, Dr. Myron Augsburger. He was my shining light when I was in a time of darkness. He had delivered a message at a county wide youth rally that I attended when I was around the 6th or 7th grade. I don’t know how our family ended up having a recorded cassette tape of that message in our house, but we did.
Years later when I was a sophomore in college and really struggling to know what my purpose was in life, I stumbled upon that old cassette tape now covered in dust. I played that tape which had the message he gave many years ago at that youth rally I had attended. It was a message in which he was challenging us to put Christ first in our lives.
That cassette tape ended up changing my life because that message led me to make a recommitment of my life to Jesus Christ. I immediately felt a large weight lifted from my shoulders and even though I still wasn’t sure of my purpose and direction, I knew that God was going to lead me one step at a time. I knew I wasn’t alone anymore.
About a year after my recommitment to Christ and when I was still in college, I heard that Dr. Augsburger was going to speak at a university ethics event near where I lived on the topic of world peace and the danger of nuclear weapons and arms proliferation. Since his sermon at that youth rally several years ago had made such a dramatic impact on my life, I wanted to go and hear him speak and then go up to him after his presentation to thank him for helping me during a very dark time of my life.
So I go to this college event and after his message, I went up to him to let him know about that youth rally message that he had given when I was in 7th or 8thgrade and how I had recently ended up listening to it on a cassette tape and then how that led me to make a recommitment of my life to Jesus Christ.
I don’t know what I was expecting him to do after telling him this story. Maybe jump up and down. Maybe give me a big hug. Maybe show some emotion. But to my surprise, he simply looked at me, and without any emotion simply said, “Oh, good.”
“Oh, good? That’s your response?” Your message literally changed the course of my life! Maybe I caught him off guard. And to be fair, I don’t think he was aware in that moment of what a difference his message from years ago really did have on my life. Maybe it was a lot for him to take in especially after he had just given this long lecture at this college.
But now as I reflect on it, maybe his more subdued reaction is to remind me that we can’t possibly know just how much of a difference we make in people’s lives simply when we shine a little of God’s light. The truth is, I probably wouldn’t be here telling you this story if he hadn’t given that message which was then recorded on a cassette tape for me to hear years later.
If you think about it, this kind of stuff happens all the time where God’s light shines through us without us even being aware of it, maybe because of something we said or did, or even just through our presence at just the right time. And because of that light, someone’s day becomes a little brighter.
Even when we feel like we may be in the darkness like the people of Israel who were facing exile, God continues to call us to be the light.
I think it’s interesting that during the darkest time of the year when a lot of us may be growing tired of the shorter days, our appointed scripture readings and worship services talk the most about God’s light. Think about it. On Christmas Eve, we lifted our candles in our darkened sanctuary as we sang “Silent Night.”
Twelve days later on Epiphany, we join the Wise Men in following the light of the star to greet the Christ Child in Bethlehem.
Today, we have this scripture reading from Isaiah where we are reminded that God has called us to be the light.
Five weeks from now on Transfiguration Sunday, we will hear the story of when Jesus took some of his disciple up a mountain where he was transfigured before them and there was this dazzling light from heaven surrounding him.
During the darkest time of the year, we get all of these scriptures about God’s light that shines upon us which we are in turn to shine upon those around us. We are called to be the light especially during this long time of year with less daylight and more darkness.
A stand-up comic poked fun at weathermen who tend to state the obvious. Pretending to be a weatherman, the comic says, “Weather forecast for tonight: Dark. And it will continue to be dark overnight, with widely scattered light by morning.”
Another comedian has said, “A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.”
God calls us to scatter a little sunshine on those who are going through a time of darkness.
One night, I was driving to a church meeting and it seemed like it was extra dark that night. And then as I was driving back from the meeting, I could still sense that it was really dark out that night. I could hardly see the way in front of me.
I also noticed that a car had been following close behind me for a while. When I made a turn, I noticed that this car made the same turn. “Strange,” I thought to myself. “Why is this guy following so close behind me?”
I then pulled into a parking lot and believe it or not, so did that car behind me. I was now getting a little concerned. Then this person flashes his headlights at me and so I stop my car in that parking lot. I put my window down, and this really nice guy comes up to my window and says to me, “Did you know that your headlights aren’t on? I just wanted to let you know for your safety.”
You know, sometimes I wonder if there are times in our lives when we don’t realize that we are driving through a time of darkness in our lives. We think we have enough light but we really don’t. And then somebody takes notice and reminds us that we already have the light, we just need to let it shine.
I think that’s what God is reminding us to do from our scripture reading today. The Lord has called us to be the light for each other in this world of darkness.
I know it’s the middle of January, but keep lifting your Christmas Eve candle high for all to see. Somebody just might thank you someday for shining that light just when they needed it the most. And that’s when you can look at them and without any emotion, simply respond with… “Oh, good.”
Shine your light!
Called to Be the Light
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