Be The Light…

On Friday, Denise and I decided to take a somewhat impromptu trip to Apalachicola, Florida. We had been talking about it for some time now, and decided Thursday evening that Friday would be the day. It is two-and-a-half hour drive along some of the most beautiful coastline along the panhandle of Florida. Along US Highway 98, there is a section of coastline that is called “The Forgotten Coast” of Florida. It is off the beaten track and while there is tourism present, the large Condominiums of the “Emerald Coast” are largely absent. When we got to Apalachicola we spent a few hours browsing through the shops, walking along the water, and eating at one of the local restaurants, “Hole in the Wall”, that Trip Advisor recommended as a “Bargain Gem” (it was a good place for food and beverages and was filled with “local charm”). Yet there was something else which drew us further along the coast. After visiting St George’s Island and the recreated lighthouse there, we traveled to the more out of the way St Mark’s Lighthouse. It was there that I took the above picture of the lighthouse.

Lighthouses have fascinated me from my youth. There was, in my mind, something intriguing and even romantic about a light shining out in all manner of weather as a warning and a beacon to the ships and sailors at sea. Sadly, there are plenty of instances where the family living in the lighthouse would get called out in the middle of the night to rescue shipwrecked sailors or recover bodies that washed ashore after a wreck. Plus the families who lived in these lighthouses often faced alone the worst that Mother Nature could throw their way. I guess you could say that there was nothing romantic about that.

What were these beacons shining out from the land? What was their purpose? One purpose was to warn sailors of impending doom on the rocks that surrounded the coastline. Another was to tell sailors that an open port and the safety it offered from the storm was near. In addition, they served as navigational beacons to sailors lost at sea. It was a marker that would orient the lost seafarer and perhaps help them to find their place on the map!

So how does this connect with our spiritual life you might ask, dear reader? The pathway to the lighthouse was clearly visible to me on the day when I took the picture. In the sunshine and clear weather it was easy to find my way back.  But if you can imagine yourself on that same pathway in the midst of a storm, the view is much different. The way back is far from clear as the storm rages. As you slog back against the wind and the rain towards the lighthouse, the light would guide you to safety where you could get dry and warm.

In Acts 4:32-35 we read about the early Christian community. These Christ followers were trying to figure out how to live in the post-Pentecost world where it seemed as though everyone was against them. They were being kicked out of synagogues and Rome saw them as a threat. Nobody wanted them it seemed. Cut off from all that was familiar, they found themselves adrift on life’s stormy seas. So what does one do when doors are slammed in your face and nobody wants you? You gather together with your fellow believers and work together as one.

“Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common… There was not a needy person among them, for as many owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.” (Acts 4:32, 34-35) In the midst of life’s storms, they headed for shelter, and they refused no one! The church as we know it didn’t exist yet, but the community of faith was already established. Now if that wasn’t a lighthouse beacon drawing people to safety and security, I don’t know what would be!

How far from our roots we have drifted as a community of Christ-followers, dear reader. It deeply saddens my heart to see what the church has come to represent for so many people today. If you ask people of our oldest son’s generation (he is 26, and our 23 and 20 year old sons agree as well) what the church is, their response is less than gracious. Oh yeah, that institution that is filled with hatred, hypocrisy, bigotry, and prejudice. Love? Are you kidding? They are too busy building walls to actually think about someone different from themselves. Yes, that is not a very pretty picture of what the church has become in too many cases. Of course, there is the other extreme as well. Church has become a “club” where you check off your weekly membership by sitting in a pew for an hour (or less if you are lucky and the preacher has a short sermon).

As I look at the lighthouse and think about the purpose it serves, I reflect on our own calling as Christ-followers. The lighthouse guides pilgrims safely through the storms of life to a place of safety, healing and rest. Shouldn’t the church, the Christian community, do the same thing? The reading from Acts seems to state clearly that is what was happening in the Christian community in the weeks after Pentecost. I believe we are called as a community of Christ-followers to tear down the walls that divide. Instead of discriminating against people because of the color of their skin, their immigration status, their sexual orientation, or their socio-economic status, shouldn’t we be reaching out with the light of Christ?

There is a song that Hank Williams, Sr used to sing called “I Saw the Light”. Now old Hank knew his fair share of sin and darkness in his own life and he was haunted by his own demons. Yet somewhere deep within he could sing with certainty about the light that would always lead him home! Consider the chorus from that song for a moment, if you will…

I saw the light I saw the light
No more darkness no more night
Now I’m so happy no sorrow in sight
Praise the lord I saw the light

Christ is the beacon… Christ is the light… and as Christ followers, we are called to shine that light so that others may come to the shelter which Jesus offers to all. So, dear reader, our challenge is to be that light. How can we do that unless we share the love of Christ with those whom we meet? And how can they see that love and light in our heart unless we let it shine? As a wise person once said, “you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” How else can we attract people to the love of Christ which gives us life unless we shine our light!