LIVING AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT

Ephesians 5: 1-14

Children are greatly influenced by what they watch, what they hear, and their friends.  If parents can successfully steer their child away from influential girls who can get them into trouble, or influential boys who do the same, a child has a better chance of staying on the right track. Conversely, parents with children who are strong Christians can also influence others in trouble, by bringing them out of the darkness into the light of truth and integrity. If you can influence your children’s choice of friends, you can change your child. If you can influence the young men and women your youth “hang” with, you can change your child.  But strong Christian youth can also influence dozens of others in positive ways. The world is better to have young men like Florida quarterback Tim Tebow to bring a message that uplifts others. And as adults, either we will influence others with our faith, enthusiasm, and integrity, or others will fill our heads with paranoia, anger, and distrust. Not only the voices that children and youth hear on the television or internet, but also the voices that adults hear, from news pundits to talk radio hosts, can influence any and all listeners. Even as adults, the experiences of life tend to solidify the molds of people’ viewpoints; but if we surround ourselves with those who influence us in clear and uplifting ways, then we can change our attitudes and actions in surprising ways. If, on the other hand, we listen to negativity, sarcasm, or criticism in our homes, our workplaces, or from news sources, the light that Christians are called to shine can get shadowed by darkness.  But, as the children learned today, if you remove one or more layers of critical, hurtful, or dishonest people, light can begin to shine from your life again. The same with youth and adults: you have each been given a precious gift: of knowing Jesus as Lord, and following him as the Light of the world. If he lives in your heart, then your life is the lens that gives focus to His light.

The great theologian Reinhold Niebuhr wrote an influential book during World War II called THE CHILDREN OF LIGHT AND THE CHILDREN OF DARKNESS, in which he says: “We may well designate moral cynics, who know no law beyond their own will and self-interest, with the scriptural designation ‘children of the world’ or ‘children of darkness.’ Those who believe that self-interest should be brought under the discipline of a higher law could be termed the ‘children of light.’ The children of light must be armed with the wisdom of the children of darkness but remain free of its malice.”

When Paul speaks to the Ephesians, in so many ways he speaks to us too.  “Let no one deceive you with empty words.” In Ephesus the empty words came from government leaders, powerful local orators, and from friends who spoke about innuendo as if it were truth. Today, have the mind of Christ in you as you hear the words of others. Are the words true? Should you pass them on? Can you transform others with a different message from you own heart? You and I are called to be change agents; to change those around us rather than having them change us: that goes for children, youth, and adults. Sometimes it takes an outside witness to say something like: “Hey, do you realize you fight all the time in this house?” Or “I resign, even thought I don’t have another job. I just can’t work in such an uncaring and cutthroat workplace.” It can take the form of others always complaining about the world, or breaking promises to you or others, or people trying to pull others into their personal conspiracies. Paul knew what Jesus knew what God knows: if we can change what happens in our homes—what we hear, how we speak about others, and see ways we can influence others instead of letting them sway us—then we can change the world. Changing the world is what Jesus was about when he came; it’s what Paul worked to do in Jesus’ name; and ultimately it is Jesus’ commandment to us through his Great Commission: “Go into the world and make others my disciples;” that means be people who love, show grace, keep the commandments and acknowledge when they get broken, follow Jesus, and honor God.

For all of those around you who pull you slowly or rapidly into darkness, Paul says “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but expose them instead.” You will have to decide when, where, and if to do that. You know the tempting words of the children of darkness: “Come on, everybody’s doing it!” “If someone sold you the answers to the test, why not use them?” “As long as the door is unlocked, it’s not breaking and entering so we can take stuff!” But the imperative from Ephesians is clearly put: “Once you were in darkness, but now in the Lord you are light!” Is Paul describing you? Or have you, in some way, fallen off the track, or let others around you make you cynical or harsh, bitter, or dishonest? If you decide that you are still “In the Lord,” and “have His light,” then Paul has a reminder of your job description: to “live as children of light.” It’s a call to change the world, by changing your surrounding where you are. There are some people, from the very young to the very old, whose clear mission is to make any room better because they’ve entered it, any relationship better because they built it, and any stranger smile because they greeted them. These are light-bearers in the world! There is so much negative in the world, even as there was in Paul’s day. We still have much work to do as Jesus followers! But we are not alone! There are people already shining his light; all we need to do is join them. I can think of people like that! I like to be near them and enjoy when they light up a room. I might not show Christ the same way as a nice young girl does or a wonderful grandfather does, but in my own way I can make people glad that we’ve met; and you can do that too!

The movie Schindler’s List is a gripping true story about one man’s attempt to be a light for thousands of Jews who were set to be annihilated. About an hour into the film, as Nazi soldiers are clearing out the Jewish Ghetto, Oskar Schindler is on horseback above the Ghetto watching the treatment of the Jews: people are moving about, being shot, or being herded in one direction. But then the black and white film shifts to an overhead shot, and an unmistakable spot of red is moving in a different direction from the crowd. Upon closer scrutiny, the spot of red turned out to be a little girl in a bright red coat. A glimmer of hope crossed my mind as I saw her closer and closer, and watched her hide under a bed. “This girl is someone I should notice,” I said to myself; “someone who will matter.”

You matter to God! From the satellites of space, from Google Earth, or from the view from heaven, what would make you be noticed amidst all the other faces in the crowds? Would you stand out by sitting and listening to someone in tears; would you be serving food to hungry people; would you be repairing a neighbor’s home who couldn’t do it for herself? Stand out from the black and white crowds of mediocrity, cynicism, or destruction! Stand out from the children of darkness! You bring the light of Christ! You share his love! You witness to his work. The world so badly needs us to change the world, rather than conform to it. As the acolyte takes the light of Christ out today, how will you take Christ’s light into the world?

Jeffrey A. Sumner                                                         August 16, 2009