I was coming out of a meeting with a friend of mine and as we got in her car, I spotted a very odd looking pair of fellows. They looked to be around the same age but one came up only a little above his friend's elbow. I looked at my friend who is nearly 2 full feet taller than I am and said, "I bet that's exactly what we look like walking around. Geez. I mean I know I'm a tiny person but I always forget how small I look to others." I certainly don't always feel small. As a young adult, it doesn't really bother me too much how my height is perceived by others. It just means that I have to put twice as much effort into gaining the respect of others. Luckily, my Creator gave me a great assortment of tools that help others see past what I am and into who I am.
I was reading an Prodigal article by Jeremy Statton entitled "The Purpose of the Light." Jeremy made some great observations about how Christians are called out to be "the light of the world," but how we often answer this call in a way that doesn't reflect our Creator's love. He said that, like his kids' flashlight, our light often gets turned into a sort of weapon used to jump out and blind others rather than helping them find their path. I certainly agreed with his points and wanted to share some of my thoughts on the subject.
Like any kind of light, we can't always be standing in front of others shining the light in their eyes and blinding them to all else. An effective lamp isn't one that glares in your face but one that stands with you to help you see the path ahead. If we stand behind others, we do no good. If we stand facing them, we risk blinding them. But if we stand with our fellow sons and daughters, equal to them, we can help them see more clearly. I would also point out that lights do not have the same purpose of road signs. We can't assume to know how long we have left until we reach a destination or in which direction someone should go. That's left between God and that person. What we can do is help illuminate possibilities and from there, we each decide where to go. You can't tell others where to go necessarily, but you can help them get there.
We all know people who represent all these different types of light. Some of them always seem to be in opposition to you. I wrote about this last time in "Be kind..." Their need to be right gets in the way of them being kind. Others loom behind you, trying to tell you where to go from the background but doing nothing but casting shadows and muddling your decisions. Then there are those who know how to effectively be the light. They listen attentively and patiently. Sometimes just talking to them helps shine a light on what you're supposed to do. Sometimes they find that theme that you had been searching too hard to see and gently turn their light on the path you overlooked.
I am just one. And a very small one at that. Maybe that's why I've always been drawn to the metaphor of "being the light." Even a small flame can greatly dissipate the darkness, no matter how vast. You don't have to be a big light to shine brightly.
I'd love to hear what else you all have to add.
Be kind to each creature,
Noelle
