By Sister Doreen, SSJD
The Anglican Church calendar quote for August: “For it is God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6).
The Message translation of 2 Corinthians 4:6 reads “It started when God said, ‘Light up the darkness!’ and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful.”
An Old Testament passage that further illuminates God’s light in our hearts: (Isaiah 49:6) “God says, ‘But that’s not a big enough job for my servant – just to recover the tribes of Jacob, merely to round up the strays of Israel. I’m setting you up as a light for the nations so that my salvation becomes global!’ (Message Translation)
Both Corinthians and Isaiah seem to join together both the gift of God’s light to us, and also through us, that gift of God’s light to others. We are told that light isn’t hidden under a bushel basket but put on a lamp stand for all to see, and certainly these two passages make clear (‘lamp stand for all to see’) that God’s action of ‘light up the darkness’ that fills our lives and also our being set up as a light that is to be global – agrees with for all to see!
The Corinthian passage goes on to say that “We have this treasure in jars of clay,” the treasure St. Paul is referencing is the light of the gospel, the message of Jesus and the glory of God reflected in Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:7). I found it helpful to spend some time pondering myself as a clay jar having that treasure held within me, for myself and for others – for a global mission!
Jars of clay don’t all look the same. The potter, God, is an artist. He is purposeful in how he shapes, molds, details and designs every part of us. There is beauty in each jar of clay, even cracked ones. Ultimately, we are all used by God for his glory, but he can use us in different ways, just like a jar of clay.
You are a jar of clay. You hold treasure and were created to share that treasure with others. Be confident in who you are and how you have been created. Our God is an artist who made you with great purpose and beauty in mind. This is a truth to hold, especially today living surrounded by an often angry, broken, and violent world. It becomes even more important to shine with great purpose and beauty, we have a message – a treasure – to share that the world needs.
There is beauty in each jar of clay, even cracked ones! I believe this is so true … perfection is an illusion, and to think that I am a perfect clay jar seems out of my reach! I do believe that sometimes God does allow us to crack, the end result of experiences that stretch and chip away at us. This is not because God doesn’t love us, but rather deeply understands us and accepts and uses us just as we are, cracks, wrinkles and all! This is to show us and the world his love through us. You see, when there is light in a perfect jar it is dimmed. Much like hiding the light under a bushel basket! But once cracked, the light shines through even brighter, and it ‘sneaks’ out into places outside of itself. When we allow our cracks and weaknesses to be used for his glory, the light of the gospel can shine through us and his treasure can be seen in us even more.
In her book “Gospel Medicine” Barbara Brown Taylor in pondering Isaiah’s servant in the Isaiah passage we have used in this reflection talked about how he had worked so hard and was exhausted, wondering if he could go on. How he finds himself at the end of his rope and exhausted, when God then asks him to be a global light, a job that seemed even bigger than anything he had done. She wrote: “When our own ideas of success go bankrupt, when our own notions of servanthood are exhausted, only then is there room for God to give us a new vision of ourselves. For Isaiah’s servant, that vision was one of light – of epiphany – of being set on fire as God’s beacon in the world. He had thought it was enough for him to do duty, to do the particular tasks God had set before him, tasks at which he laboured and laboured until he had no strength left. He came to the end of his rope. He admitted defeat, and that is when God had some room to negotiate. “Stop doing a job,” God said. “Start being a light. Stop doing your duty. Start doing mine. Stop worrying about whether or not you have done a good job. Start leaving that up to me. You can’t see it the way I can. You just let your light shine and let me take care of the rest. I chose you and I’ve got good taste. I made you and I can be trusted.”
It leaves us with questions – how can we be a global light in this dark and broken world? What are some of the ways that we can indeed let our light shine? It also makes it clear to us that we need to stay close to God who has chosen us, to stay as close as we can to the Light, so that our carrying that treasure in our own cracked clay jar we are enabled to let the light out for all to see. It is God who has chosen us, given us to the world.
A Hymn Song written by Jim Strathdee also makes it clear how important it is to stay close to the Light of the World – to discover how and what we can do to make our light shine.
CHORUS:
I am the Light of the World you people come and follow me.
If you follow and love, you’ll learn the mystery of what you were meant to do and be.
When the song of the angels is stilled. When the star in the sky is gone.
When the kings and the shepherds have found their way home. The work of Christmas is begun!
I am the Light of the World you people come and follow me.
If you follow and love, you’ll learn the mystery of what you were meant to do and be.
To find the lost and lonely one, To heal that broken soul with love,
To feed the hungry children with warmth and good food, to feel the earth below the sky above!
I am the Light of the World you people come and follow me.
If you follow and love, you’ll learn the mystery of what you were meant to do and be.
To free the prisoner from his chains, to make the powerful care,
To rebuild the nations with strength and goodwill, to call a man your brother everywhere.
I am the Light of the World you people come and follow me.
If you follow and love, you’ll learn the mystery of what you were meant to do and be.
To bring hope to every task you do, to dance at a baby’s new birth,
To make music in an old man’s heart, and sing to the colors of the earth!I am the Light of the World you people come and follow me.
If you follow and love, you’ll learn the mystery of what you were meant to do and be.
I find myself looking often to the psalms for the encouragement and the acknowledgement of that deep longing I have for the Light in the darkness, those times when it seems that I need to find that loving shelter of God that I know encircles me. They are filled with images of God that give strength when times are difficult, opportunities to take struggles to God and receive encouragement, strength, compassion and understanding. Pondering some of the psalms is like finding God blowing on the embers of my heart, lighting the fire of love again and again until I can sing a heart song – my clay jar holding that treasure like a flame that is bright and full – a call to be the messenger of God’s love.
Joyce Rupp in her books Anchors for the Soul and Fragments of Your Ancient Name wrote two meditations that seemed a fitting way to close this reflection:
“Eternal Lamp of Love, remind me often of how much radiance comes from the glow of one small candle flame. When my spiritual window is heavily clouded, and your abiding love seems far from me, restore my belief in your vibrant presence. When I doubt my ability to be a bearer of your light, shine your truth and wisdom into my faltering spirit. Thank you for the illuminated beings who have touched my life with their goodness. Your light shining through them has inspired me and filled me with spiritual energy. Assure me that I can also be a Light-bearer for others, a clear window of your eternal starlight.”
“You contain a tableau of possibilities, countless opportunities to encounter Your indwelling gift of radiance. A glimmer of hope in depression. A ray of courage amid life’s trials.
A sparkle of joy at the end of illness. A flash of illumination. A beam of illuminating perception.
A glow of pleasure and contentment. A radiance only the stilled soul perceives.
Today I am aware of my inner light.”
Yes! Yes! “Arise shine for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.” Isaiah 60:1.