“The flame need not train for illumination: It just shines.”
What We Are
“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
~ the Gospel According to Matthew, chapter 5, verses 13-20, from The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. 1989, Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers. (Revised Common Lectionary Year A, Fifth Sunday After Epiphany, 5 February 2017)
Campfire at Sonlight Christian Camp holds beautiful promise. When we step out of the warmth and comfort of the lodge in the late evening, the autumn chill nips at our cheeks and the darkness causes us to wrap our arms close. But out there in the darkness, flickering in yellow and orange, is a flame.
Something’s going to happen out there. We’ll sing songs of joy and hope. We’ll hear reminders of the light we follow in Jesus Christ. We’ll join stories of change, redemption, and abundant life. Those stories will come from you, from me, or from a fellow disciple whom we met just three days ago. But now we’re gathered together around the pulsing flame of life, backs to the night, forming a circle of strength and possibility.
That’s what I expect when I cross the black deep from the lodge deck to the campfire. Out there is the gathering whose light cannot be hid, whose warmth cannot be abandoned. And as we follow Jesus Christ on this journey, the world will come to expect such things from us. When we are learning from Jesus, we make the world taste better, like a dash of salt. We hold back the corruption and despair, preserving goodness through the winters of society. We are broadcasting the love of Christ so that others will want to draw close.
None of this will happen simply because of how hard we try or how expert we become. It will happen because the Spirit of Christ now makes us what we are. The flame need not train for illumination: It just shines. Salt need not practice to liven the tongue: It fulfills its chemical destiny. If we listen to Jesus and take him to heart, then who we are will bless the world. Let your light shine.
Father of Lights, ignite us with bold love. Make us curious to discover who your next child will be. Fill us with a wisdom that brightens the flavors of the world. Take our daily routines and consume them with a glory that illuminates every life around us. And use us to call more people out of the darkness and into the brilliance of your love. We ask it through the grace of the Light of the World, Jesus Christ!
~ emrys tyler