Christ's light shines in the darkness

218 christi light shines in the darknessLast month, several GCI pastors participated in a hands-on evangelism training course called “Outside the Walls.” It was led by Heber Ticas, national coordinator of Grace Communion International's Gospel Ministry. This was done in partnership with Pathways of Grace, one of our churches near Dallas, Texas. The training began with classes on Friday and continued Saturday morning. Pastors met with church members to go door-to-door around the church meeting place and invite people from the local church to a fun children's day later in the day.

Two of our pastors knocked on a door and told the man of the house to represent the GCI community and then mentioned the fun Children's Day. The man told them that he does not believe in God because God does not eliminate the problems of the world. Instead of going on, the pastors talked with the man. They learned that he is a conspiracy theorist who believes that religion is the cause of many problems in the world. The man was surprised and astonished when the pastors told him to raise a reasonable point and point out that even Jesus was unenthusiastic about religion. The man replied that he was holding the questions and looking for answers.

When our pastors then encouraged him to keep asking, he was amazed again. "No one has ever said that to me before," he replied. One pastor explained, "I think the way you ask questions puts you in a position to get some real answers, answers that only God can give." After about 35 minutes, the man apologized to them like that to have been harsh and defiant, saying, "He may like the way you, as pastors of GCI, think about God." The conversation ended with one of our pastors assuring him, "The God I know and love , loves you and wants to have a relationship with you. He's not all that concerned or worried about your conspiracy theories or hatred of religion. When the time is right, He will reach out to you and you will understand that it is God. I think you'll react accordingly." The man looked at him and said, "That's cool. Thanks for listening and thanks for taking the time to talk to me."

I share opinions about this story from the event because it explains an important truth: people who live in darkness are positively influenced when the light of Christ is openly shared with them. The contrast of light and darkness is a metaphor frequently used in Scripture to contrast good (or knowledge) with evil (or ignorance). Jesus used it to speak about judgment and sanctification: “Men are judged because, although light has come into the world, they love darkness more than light. Because everything they do is evil. Those who do evil dread the light and prefer to remain in the dark so that no one can see their crimes. But whoever obeys God enters the light. It is then shown that he is living his life according to the will of God” (John 3,19-21 Hope for All).

The well-known adage: "It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness" was first publicly pronounced in 1961 by Peter Benenson. Peter Benenson was the British lawyer who founded Amnesty International. A candle surrounded by barbed wire became the emblem of society (see picture on the right). In Romans 13,12 (HOPE FOR ALL), the apostle Paul said something similar: “Soon the night will be over, and the day of God will come. Therefore, let us separate ourselves from the dark works of the night and instead arm ourselves with the weapons of light.” This is exactly what our two pastors did for a man living in darkness when they were in the neighborhood of the church meeting place went door to door in Dallas.

In doing so, they were practicing exactly what Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 5: 14-16 HFA:
“You are the light that illuminates the world. A city set high on a mountain cannot be hidden. You don't light a lamp and then cover it up. On the contrary: you set it up so that it gives everyone in the house light. In the same way, your light should shine before all people. By your deeds I want them to know and honor your Heavenly Father.” I think we sometimes underestimate our ability to make a difference in the world. We tend to forget how the impact of the light of Christ on just one person can make a tremendous difference. Unfortunately, as depicted in the cartoon above, some prefer to curse the darkness rather than let the light shine. Some emphasize sin rather than sharing God's love and grace.

Although the darkness can overwhelm us sometimes, it can never overwhelm God. We must never tolerate the fear of evil in the world, for it causes us not to look at who Jesus is, what He has done for us, and commands us to do. Remember that he assures us that darkness can not overcome the light. Even if we feel like a very small candle, in the midst of pervading darkness, even a small candle still provides life-giving light and warmth. Even in a seemingly small way, we reflect the light of the world, Jesus. Even small options never remain without positive benefits.

Jesus is the light of the entire cosmos, not just the Church. He takes away the sin of the world, not just from believers. In the power of the Holy Spirit, through Jesus, the Father has brought us out of darkness into the light of a life-giving relationship with the Triune God, who promises never to forsake us. That is the good news (the gospel) for every person on this planet. Jesus is at one with all people, whether they know it or not. The two pastors who were in conversation with the atheist made him realize that he is a beloved child of God who, sadly, still lives in darkness. But instead of cursing the darkness (or the man!), The pastors have chosen to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit in fulfilling the Father's mission, with Jesus, to bring the good news to a world in darkness. As children of light (1. Thessalonians 5: 5), they were ready to be bearers of light.

The "Before the Walls" event continued on Sunday. Some people from the local community responded positively to the invitations and attended our church. Although several came, the man the two pastors spoke to did not come. It's unlikely that he'll show up at church any time soon. But coming to church wasn't the purpose of the conversation either. The man was given something to think about, a seed planted in his mind and in his heart, so to speak. Perhaps a relationship has been established between God and Him that I hope will last. Because this man is a child of God, we are sure that God will continue to bring him the light of Christ. Pathways of Grace will likely have a part in what God is doing in this man's life.

Let each of us follow the spirit of Christ to share the light of God with others. As we grow in our deeper relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit, we glow brighter and brighter with the life-giving light of God. This applies to us as individuals as well as to the communities. I pray that our churches in the sphere of influence "outside their walls" will shine even brighter and let the spirit of their Christian life flow. Just as we draw others into our body by offering God's love in every possible way, the darkness begins to lift and our churches will reflect more and more of the light of Christ.

May the light of Christ shine with you,
Joseph Tkach

President
GRACE COMMUNION INTERNATIONAL


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