A Thousand Points of Light
Matt 5:13-16
13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Darkness of South Central LA
- teenage gangs roam the streets—everyone lives in fear of them
- drugs are available everywhere
- prostitutes are on most street corners
- violence abounds
- crime is running rampant—there is darkness, gross darkness
Yet, in the midst of all this evil a light shines! On one of the corners a neon light above a building glows with the words, VICTORY OUTREACH! It’s a ministry devoted to reaching out to drug addicts, alcoholics, and street people. A former gang member whose life was transformed by the power of Christ heads up this outreach endeavor.
He, along with a meager staff, house about 40 men in an atmosphere of peace and purpose, while chaos reigns in the streets. Outside can be heard the sounds of darkness—gun shots, police and fire sirens, men and women laughing and cursing and some even screaming. But from within Victory Outreach comes the sound of hymn singing.
When I ponder this scene, I thought Victory Outreach is a “point of light.” Do you remember how President George Bush Sr. used this phrase in his speeches? He was describing community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the Nation, doing good.
The “point of light” in Sough Central LA not only engages in evangelism but also attempts to help those who are enslaved to chemicals and other masters, break loose and in turn become salt and light.
Its not a far drive to Beverly Hills from South Central LA. And yet it is a long way in another sense. What a striking contrast! One the world of “Entertainment Tonight” where everyone is fit, famous, and fabulous. But here in South Central LA, on a certain corner, towering above the traffic is a huge sign that serves as well as anything to define life: LIFE IS SHORT. PLAY HARD. Its only an ad for Reeboks, but it’s such a short distance from a neighborhood where people are dying every day because they have lived out the logical consequences of the mind set.
Life is short. Play hard. Grab all the gusto you can. Whoever dies with the most toys wins. These supposedly harmless slogans summarize a world-view that says. “This life is all there is.” But we know better, don’t we?
In these two neighborhoods the choice is very clear: Either we remain blinded by the bright light of the world that masks a heart of darkness or we choose the Light that dispels the darkness.
Darkness - Light. Jesus had something to say about these. He said, “I am the light of the world.” He said it to the Pharisees. Then He went on to say, “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
Light is one of the great metaphorical themes running through the Bible. In the beginning of creation, God said, “Let there be light.” Then in the book of Revelation, we read about the Eternal City which is bathed in the light of God.
Jesus is the Light who had been prophesied for centuries. He was to be the revelation of truth to nonbelievers. And in Matthew 5 He charged His disciples, “You are the light of the world.” Then He added, “A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see you good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
His followers are, He said, by their very character the light of the world. They will do the same works He did---even greater ones.
The key thing about light is that its radiance can best be seen in the darkest places. What we do emerges from who we are. Being precedes doing. In Acts 1:8, just before Jesus’ ascension, He told His disciples, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Please notice that He said we would be His witnesses. It reminds me of the words of Francis of Assisi: “Preach the gospel all the time; if necessary, use words.” Sometimes in order to be heard, we must be seen. We must be the gospel. We must be lights shining out in the darkness, like candles that illuminate and warm and draw others toward the one true Light.
Philippians 2:14-16: “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.”
We are the light. That’s what Jesus said. We already are by virtue of His abiding presence within. So, as we come together, we form communities of light, just like Victory Outreach in LA. And as we are faithful, wherever we go into the dark, we bear the light of Christ’s love. Millions of Christians are doing just that.
ANNIE HOWARD is a case in point. In 1991 she was awarded one of President Bush’s “Thousand Points of Light” awards for her Prison Fellowship volunteer work in the Kentucky Correctional Institute for Women. She help choir practice in the prison chapel, had an evening Bible study, and hosted a dinner for six volunteers in her home---all in one evening! All the women at the prison know Annie. They know she doesn’t get paid to do this. They know she loves them. It doesn’t matter to her what they have done. She treats them all equally. This is dangerous work. She feels the presence of Satan. She feels the battle for people’s souls---;like a battle between darkness and light.
The award Annie received from the president is a heavy medallion with a stylized candle on it. It’s on a gold chain, designed to be worn around her neck. But Annie doesn’t need to wear it for people to see her light. They know she represents Jesus. They can see Him shining through her.
SHERRY WOODS is another example. She works in one the toughest places in Washington, D.C. You can see the Capitol Dome from the streets of Shaw Neighborhood, but the decisions made by Congress don’t seem to have much effect on the citizens of this neighborhood. They’re just trying to survive the dangers of their everyday lives: drugs, shootings, and hopelessness. Sherry manages the “Unique Learning Center” at Third Street of God---a ministry devoted to tutoring children from that area. Many of their “graduates” went on to college. Sherry is investing a good part of her life in these kids.
BEVERLY ARNWELL AND JACKIE RUSSELL are two more illustrations of God’s points of light. Every Saturday morning they deliver food to people in the needy neighborhoods around their church in South Central LA. Ask these two women about their work and their faces light up. They start laughing and crying and talking so fast that they can barely breathe, telling all that God has done. They pick up food from a Christian organization that provides wholesale groceries for relief ministries. It’s 19 miles to San Pedro to pick up the groceries. They can’t take the expressway because once they get their car loaded up, it won’t go the minimum 40 mph.
They have reported a miracle---started out with ¼ tank of gas, traveled to San Pedro and back, delivered all the groceries and still have ¼ of that tank! They take very good notes in the morning worship service the Sunday before, then preach them at almost every stop. Two points of light!
These are only three examples of God’s pervading light—piercing the darkness. In a world full of shadows, it’s sometimes difficult for us to believe we can really make a difference. Sometimes our little lights seem so small. Sometimes the darkness looks overwhelming. But throughout the history of the church, the people of God have shone out as a community of light that cannot be extinguished. And in a thousand arenas of need around the world the light still shines and the darkness cannot hold it back!
In the 19th century, lighthouses on the U.S. coasts were tended by lighthouse keepers and their families. If a man who tended the light was ill or became disabled, often the work was picked up by his wife or children. Such was the case of Hosea Lewis. He suffered a stroke 4 years after he became the keeper of the light on Lime Rock Island at Newport, Rhode Island in 1853. His teenage daughter Ida assumed responsibility fo the light. Each day included cleaning the reflectors, trimming the wick, and filling the oil reservoir at sunset and midnight, along with providing for her father’s care.
With long and demanding tasks. Ida was unable to continue her schooling, but daily delivered her siblings to class, whatever the weather, by rowing the 500 yards to the mainland. In the mid-1800’s, it was unusual to see a woman maneuvering a boat, but Ida became well-skilled and well-known for handling the heavy craft. She gained a measure of fame at the age of 16 when she rescued 4 young men after their boat capsized. She rowed to their aid, hearing their screams as they clung to their overturned craft.
On March 29, 1869, Ida saved two drowning servicemen from nearby Fort Adams. Public knowledge of Ida’s courage reached the desk of President Grant and inspired him to make the trip to Newport and award her the U.S. Lifesaving Service’s’ highest medal. All together, Ida Lewis personally save something like 25 people in 50 plus years of keeping the light. Her last reported rescue came at the age of 63. Asked where she found strength and courage for such a feat, Ida replied, “I don’t know. I ain’t particularly strong. The Lord Almighty gives it to me when I need it, that’s all.”
The keeper of the light was in fact, the bearer of the Light and so are we!
May God help us to shine forth for His glory and the good of others. Terri McPherson captured it well in these lines:
You are a child of creation, a reflection of God.
No one can steal your beauty or reduce your worth,
Unless you let them…don’t let them!
You are a miracle of God’s love…
Never look at yourself and see anything less!
Your life is not a random stroke of chance,
You are a part of a Sovereign plan,
Loved into existence…loved for an eternity.
So, let the fire in your soul live,
And laugh and leap for joy!
And for the short time you walk upon this earth, remember…
That you are the light of the world!
