Light of the World
September 1st, 2006 by Stephen
“You are the light of the world. 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 your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16
The photograph is one I took a couple of weeks ago of South Stack lighthouse on the island of Holyhead in North Wales. Holyhead has been a major port for the UK / Ireland trade since Thomas Telford’s feat of Victorian engineering and the coming of transport links across the island of Anglesey.
Because of Holyhead’s importance, it is essential that good light is given to shipping to warn them off dangerous rocks and coves, and South Stack is just one of many lighthouses that would be carefully looked after by a lighthouse keeper to guide shipping safely. (These days they are all automated of course).
Now Jesus’ words about being a light challenge Christians. He tells us Christians that we are lights of the world, guiding people to Christ by our good works.
We know that, as Christians, we are justified by God’s grace through faith. Our works are irrelevent to that, but the place for our good works is as guides to people.
So far I hope this is uncontentious.
However there was a tradition – particularly in Cornwall, but elsewhere too – of what were known as wreckers. People who would give false light to shipping in order that they might confuse them and cause them to founder on rocks. The wrecked ships would then be plundered of their cargo and the unfortunate duped sailors would have to fend for themselves.
So what might these false lights be? There are many of course. Jesus deals with the blind leading the blind. But are there Christians giving false light? (or at least, sleeping rather than maintaining their light?)
Undoubtedly, and all the time. Maintaining our lights is an ongoing process, and one we must constantly work at.
But do we send out a false light when we settle for the world’s standards? When we say that we don’t care about global warming? Or we oppose liberalisation of our markets to Africa? or we argue that the size of our pay packet is more important than the millions of people who live on less than a dollar a day?
Good works are small things that we do every day, for sure. They involve our testimony in refraining from falsehood, in dealing honestly and justly with people, with helping one another.
But good works are also the big things, and if Christians are to be true lights to the world, we need to be working for solutions to problems in the world. this is why we have missions that are involved in educating people. This is why Christians are involved in the International Panel for Climate Change. This is why Christians should be concerned about civil liberties, fair trade, justice for Africa and all kinds of other things that too many Christians are ignoring because they lump it all in the “social justice” category, which is too secular.
As if God were not interested in justice.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”
Matthew 23:23
