Light it up, nurture hope
At this time of the year, especially in northern Indiana, it tends to be dark and gloomy — so much so that people can experience depression because of the lack of light. The sun rarely comes out, but when it does one can almost feel a sense of joy. It is amazing how a person’s attitude almost visibly changes.
One of my favorite Scripture passages is the prologue to the Gospel of St. John. There he tells us that Jesus came to overcome the darkness of the world, to bring light to a world filled with gloom and sin.
As Christians, as members of Christ’s body, we also are called to be lights of hope to a dark world in need of healing. A song that many of us learned as kids, “This Little Light of Mine,” has a simple but profound message worth remembering. Our lights may be small, but one little light can brighten a dark room, and even a dark world.
Our world is in desperate need of light and hope. Thousands around the world die from hunger each day. We are at war in Iraq and Afghanistan and are not in the good graces of many other countries. Innocent people live in the shadow of American weapons. Almost every day we hear of another bankruptcy and employees who lose their jobs. Suicide bombings continue, and the world lives in fear of terrorism.
Just thinking about all of this can be overwhelming and bring a person down. What can any of us do to bring light and hope in the face of these realities?
The key is to ask God not to let us shut down and become numb. We must find ways to let our own lights shine. It does not mean we deny or ignore the present world situation. On the contrary, it is a call to nurture a positive spirit, to appreciate all the good that is in our world, and to contribute to that goodness by the way we try to live.
There is no limit to the opportunities we receive each day to bring light and hope into our dark world. It may be as simple as an attempt to uplift a negative conversation at the lunch or dinner table. Or it might be our refusal to take part in a gossip session about another person.
A smile or a letter or phone call (maybe an e-mail message) to a lonely person can dispel his or her darkness. Maybe just saying hello to someone at school or work whom no one ever speaks to would be another way to lighten up someone’s world.
Christians must strive to be beacons of hope. We must proclaim by the way we live our lives that we really believe Jesus came to save the world and that nothing is impossible with God.
The only way to bring light to our dark world today is by how we live our belief in the Gospel of Jesus. We must live our lives with hope and faith that God will never abandon his people.
A line from a prayer I once read says, “Lord, let there be a little more goodness in the world because I lived.” I hope we also may be able to say there is a little more hope. Let’s start today.
Did you enjoy this article? If so, browse our “Living the Faith” archive to read some of Sister Margie’s past reflections.