A Bible verse about light:
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14
In contrast to earlier articles about darkness, today I wanted to discuss the topic of light. Specifically, you (and me).
For you see, we are the light.
To frame the perspective of this article, we need to have the right framework for understanding.
First off, what is light?
Well, light is the antithesis of darkness. But it’s also more than that. For, in the absence of darkness, there is still light.
So it does light an injustice to merely describe it as the opposite of darkness. That would mean that light would require the darkness to exist in and of itself. Which it does not.
I believe that the author of Matthew intended the imagery of light to be metaphorical. To that end, I surmise the intended allegory is that of “distinctive.”
Light is distinctive. It causes you to take notice. Sure, it stands out more amongst the darkness. Imagine a flashlight illuminating the black of night.
But the light is also distinctive in the absence of dark. Picture a beautiful sunset (or sunrise). That light can take your breath away, and it does not need the darkness to stand out.
You are the light of the world
At face value, if we take the meaning of being “the light” in the manner of illumination, then I believe this could also be true.
Amongst the darkness of the world, Christians are the light. We are the hope of a fallen society. We stand out because we are distinctively different than the dark.
But this example still requires darkness for our light to shine. And I don’t believe that it does.
To that end, our character stands out. Our morals stand out. The principles we live by stand out. This is what it truly means to live distinctively.
A city on a hill cannot be hidden
So our thoughts, actions, and deeds are distinctive. They cause people to take notice. And then, they are on display.
I think that it’s worth noting how the media, and society in general, portrays Christians – especially prominent ones.
It’s not necessarily that they’re held to a higher standard (though the argument could be made that they should be), it’s just that the gossip is that much juicier if and when they fall.
This can be a terrifying thought
If I am to be a “good” Christian, then that means that the way that I act and speak will distinctively stand out amongst others.
It also means that people will be silently watching and waiting for me to make a mistake.
While that might be scary to consider, I believe that it also affords a level of accountability. It leads me to consider the extra ramifications and consequences of my decisions and actions.
Not because I care so much what people think of me, but what it means to the reputation of Christians as a whole.
In all actuality, these circumstances perhaps present the greatest opportunity to be the light.
A scenario to explain my point
Not that I’m ever wishing any fellow Christian to make an ill-advised mistake, but let me present a scenario for you to consider:
There’s a prominent local Christian that you know. With his words, actions, and deeds, he stands out. People respect him because he’s so distinctively different.
His children are well-behaved, his employer respects and appreciates him, he volunteers at the church, and he is always displaying a compassionate demeanor.
Only, secretly, others are watching him and waiting for him to slip up (they’re usually the ones who are the most jealous of him). Unfortunately, he does.
It turns out that this man also has some anger management issues. While he can normally keep it in check, on this particular day, he is involved in a road rage incident.
And it just so happens that the whole incident was live-streamed on social media. Now the whole world labels him as just another hypocritical Christian.
Here, he has two choices
Stick to his guns and blame the other individuals, or, admit his mistake and accept the consequences.
The first option might seem right. It might even be warranted. The events leading up to the incident do not matter. It makes no difference whether his actions were justified or not.
But if he chooses the second option, I think that speaks volumes more. It tells the world that Christianity is more than an individual – even one so seemingly well put together as this man.
It means that despite his situation, he recognizes that the reputation of Christians as a whole is more important than himself.
In essence, even in the darkness of his personal tribulations, he is choosing to be the light. He is choosing to be distinctively different.
Wouldn’t it be nice if more politicians adhered to his idea? It would make people take notice. After all, if people are going to be watching us anyways, then we might as well stand out for the right reasons.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.