(Matthew 5:15-16)
Image courtesy of brown skinned girl
It's easy -- even popular -- to be a cynic these days. Pick a side on the ongoing debate, furrow your brow, unload your opinions, point your finger vigorously, and jump into the fray. You will find many like-minded friends.
It's harder -- often unpopular -- to be an optimist. Attempt to inject some understanding, compassion, or hope into the argument and see how quickly you can be written off as naive, misguided, or "not one of us!" Therefore, even if we harbor such a perspective, given the current social and political climate, our protective instincts may have us hold such views close to the vest or, as the Matthew passage describes, "under a basket." It's just easier that way.
But that's not the way we are to live. We need to be children of light, and we are called to share this light with the world around us.
And our foundation of faith in Christ is both reason for our uncommon view on matters and strength for living that viewpoint out confidently in society at large.
For rooted in God, we can be at peace with the paradoxes and shortcomings of this world and largely immune to the crowd thinking and its false promises. And in so doing, we can let go of the fear that might otherwise obscure our light -- a concept not only expounded in the passage above from Matthew but also by Nelson Mandela in his 1994 inauguration speech upon assuming the presidency of South Africa:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you NOT to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the World.
There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel unsure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
As we let our own Light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
So trust, believe, make manifest the glory of God within you and be heartened by the way your simple witness and daily living, over time, lifts up others. Let your light shine!
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Dear Lord,
Being an optimist in this world is not easy. But as Christians living out our beliefs, we really have no other choice. So let us continually live out our faith vigorously, thereby giving testament through our daily words and actions that, in Christ, the battle is already won and the victory is already assured.
In Your Almighty name, we pray.
Amen.
