God had promised that the exiles would
return to their land. And God is always true to his promises. Now that once
again the people of Israel had been restored, they would need to show whose
people they were. In all generations God’s people should be able to physically
show where their foremost allegiance lies. Where this is not so, you would have
to doubt their sincerity. The people around us have to be shown signs
concerning the existence and character of God. Our limited vocabularies will
not be enough. Sad to say, sometimes people will refuse to believe in the God
that is so poorly represented.
Isaiah 60 early text
Through the prophet Isaiah, God says
to get on your feet, get moving, and reflect the light and the glory of God
through your everyday lives. There may be many instances of darkness across the
earth, however God’s people are always charged with the light and glory of God.
Such light will be attractive! As other nations should have been able to
recognise Israel’s light 26 odd centuries ago, our neighbours (old and new)
should be able to recognise the light in us.
We are carriers of the glory of God
because we have become recipients of his gift of grace and salvation. We are no
longer our own people, but the children of God. As Paul put it, it is no longer
I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me (Galatians 2:20). So if Jesus
is truly the “light of the world” (John 8:12), then that light must shine in us
and through us.
Verse 4 brings a restatement of God’s
graciousness in regathering the people of Israel following exile. Such a
wonderful and promise-keeping God should lead to an outpouring of joy and a
commitment to let all the nations know ‘Who’ it is that truly brings life (in
all its fullness). What a difference it would make if we could truly see and
understand what God can do – we would be “radiant”, our hearts would be
“thrilled”, our lives full of joy. People would cross seas to be a part of
this, and they would buy completely into what we have bought into.
Why do people get into dodgy boats,
organised by even dodgier ‘people-smugglers’, to travel through dangerous
weather conditions and huge waves? Because they sense that there is something
better on the other end of the journey. Australia, for all its perceived
internal problems, is a very very attractive proposition for many people from a
variety of tragic situations. Many people live through tragedy and a sense of
‘lostness’ day in and day out in our local community. So they need to find the
light – which they can only do if the lights are turned on. God says, “Arise,
shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you”
(Isaiah 60:1).
Matthew 5 text
This leads us to the words of Jesus
concerning light (in Matthew 5:14-6). There needs to be an example, something
visible for people to see, remark upon, and be drawn to. The light given to us
is designed to encompass and illuminate the whole world. Of course Jesus himself
would have this effect, but God has chosen that, except for the three (or maybe
the thirty-three) years (when Jesus ministered in person), that ordinary
everyday people would fill that role or provide that example. Before Jesus’
time it was meant to be the nation of Israel, and they had mixed results. After
Jesus’ time it was to be his Spirit-filled followers, and they have had mixed
results (we have had mixed results).
Darkness is simply the absence of
light; yet it so easily binds whole communities. When in the face of darkness
God created the light, the “light” was deemed to be “good” (Genesis 1:4). So, it
makes no sense to cover up a light source, that is, unless you want to stay in
the dark or keep others in the dark. In covering up our light we will also likely
starve it of oxygen and put it out altogether … perhaps forever! If we tend to
hide our light, we would need to think out the reasons for this … and take any
required action. If our light isn’t shining, we would need to consider what is
blocking its way … and take any required action.
Our light-source is important so that
we can see our way, and that others can also see their way no matter how little
light they have for themselves. Our light, because of where it takes us … into
identifiable “good works”, points toward a source that is above and beyond human
capacity. We have been ‘lifted up’ (out of the depths – Ps 147:6) by our
experience of Christ’s resurrection into being a city perched by on a hill for
all to see.
The Question Is
So, how do we turn the lights on???
·
Positive
living – showing a sense of purpose, being hopeful even in difficulties,
showing how our deepest aspirations have been fulfilled
·
Encouragement
of others
·
Being
forgiving and not giving in to bitterness
·
Being
open to approach – metaphorically or literally leaving the front porch light on
… demonstrating that we are here and available; having a ‘welcome’ sign out;
offering a friendly wave and a smile (to initiate contact); lingering a little
… maybe in the food-court or at the letterbox; walking around the neighbourhood
being conscious (and prayerful) about what is happening; having picnics/BBQs in
public parks; shopping locally … supporting small businesses and thanking
retail assistants
·
Practical
effort – helping others in whatever ways needed (material, emotional,
spiritual, practical); Isaiah 58:9b-10 reads: If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the
speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry, and satisfy the needs
of the afflicted, then your light
shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.
·
Building
community through developing relationships and bringing people together
·
Being
peace-makers – being counter-intuitive in the dog-eat-dog, individualistic,
selfish, competitive and aggressive environment … (actively) seeking harmony;
YET,
·
Being
prophetic – naming institutional injustice e.g. profiting from problem
gambling, detention of asylum seeking children, animal cruelty etc., and
calling for repentance and change in instances of ‘external wrongs/evil’ e.g.
abuse, violence, relational betrayal
·
Prayerful
attitude – demonstrating trust in a higher source of being beyond ourselves (to
be later identified as God – Father, Son, Spirit … in whom we can have a
personal relationship).
Isaiah 60 later text
Isaiah 60 concludes with a great
eternal vision of God as the only light we will need. No longer will we be
confined as humans are confined, needing the sun and moon through which to find
our way. Despite the potential we have as light-bearers here and now, we are
restricted it seems by our humanness and the pressures of life. While this should
never be an excuse, it is the reality. But it won’t always be so! Our days of
struggle and mourning will come to an end, and God will be all we need.
Conclusion
Meanwhile of
course we remain called as light-bearers – this is God’s light in us … part of
God’s magnetic or gravitational pull towards Divine hope. A lack of light where
light has been promised or is expected can repel people into deeper darkness.
Light is a powerful metaphor, used both to signify the joyful good news of the
salvation that God brings, and also to picture the world-transforming quality
of the lives and deeds of those who come to that light and live by it (Christopher
J H Wright).
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