“Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” – the Welcome Prayer from the service of Holy Baptism (ELW pg. 231)
Time travel is possible…well, at least mentally. Try this…”Hide it under a bushel”? NO! I’m gonna let it shine.” Now where were you? For me, I was immediately transported back to my early childhood, standing in front of the congregation, singing away, complete with all the hand motions! Even at the time, we sort of knew this was an allegory, and meant more than simply the obvious fire hazard it portrayed. These were actually words Jesus spoke, recorded in the gospel of Matthew 5:14-16.
Just like our baptism, when we received the Spirit, seeds are planted inside us when we were young that need to be nurtured in order to grow. As you’ve matured, how many times do you examine ‘this little light of mine’ and seek out ways to ‘let it shine’?
As I’ve grown older, I began to appreciate this song more as a childhood memory than what it truly is…a cornerstone of my faith and direction for my actions. However, in order to preserve this song in my past, yet keep its message in the present, I’ve adopted a new favorite hymn to replace it.
In “Christ, Be our Light” (ELW #715) we begin by confessing our longing for Christ to enter our lives. But it doesn’t stop or dwell there. Instead, the text immediately begins to move outward, identifying for us places in the world that, too, are longing for Christ’s presence. And that’s where we come in. Through baptism, we were chosen to be the visible Christ in the world today. Our actions show God’s grace to all.
“Make us your own, your holy people, light for the world to see!”
In Christ,
David Krueger