Let It Shine

I had a professor at seminary who was a real spoil sport. His expertise was theology, the formal study of the nature of God and faith. I remember several occasions when he went to considerable trouble to "educate" us on the shortcomings of some our favorite hymns. Usually the problem was that the hymns conveyed a too limited vision of God. His point was well taken, of course, and we learned some good theology along the way, but still…

Well today I want to throw cold water on one of the great classic Christian children’s songs—This Little Light of Mine. Some of you undoubtedly know it. I wish that all of you knew it; it should have been a part of your religious upbringing. I think our Sunday school children sang it for us not too long ago. "This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine."

The inspiration for the song comes from Matthew’s gospel. After the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says to his followers: "You are the light of the world. No one after lighting a lamp puts in under the bushel basket… let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."

Within the context of the gospel, it is clear that the light in question is God’s light. Remember the powerful opening of John’s gospel that we heard last Sunday: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people… The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world." Jesus is the light—the one true light.

So it is not this little light of "mine." The light is God’s light. In fact the light is God’s very presence. And if the light is God, then there is nothing "little" about it. God’s light is a very great light indeed. So the song really should go, "This great light of God’s…"

"This great light of God’s, I’m gonna let it shine." Too bad we’ve spoiled the rhyme because that second phrase is very important. In fact, I think it’s worth learning and teaching and singing the song just for that second phrase. "I’m gonna let it shine." "This great light of God’s, I’m gonna let it shine." The light is not ours, but the power, the opportunity, the responsibility to let it shine are ours. And that’s very important.

The light has been born in the world. The light of Christ is among us, in our hearts, bursting to shine forth from our faces. God’s light has been given to us. The question is, Will we let it shine? God’s light is within us, and God will cause that light to enlighten the world, to shine forth, unless we stop it. And so it is that children, with their eagerness and lack of self-consciousness, are often better at letting God’s light naturally shine forth in their lives, better at sharing God’s light with others. This is part of children's ministry to the older members of the parish.  Because, adults, on the other hand… We who are stronger, more skilled, more experienced than children… We use that strength to mask God’s light in our lives. We use that skill to rationalize away our responsibility for the light. Through our mature experience we have honed our ability to conceal God’s light. "This great light of God’s… I’m not gonna let it shine. Not in my life."

The prophet Isaiah could have been speaking to us. "Arise! Shine!" he says, "For your light has come. And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Arise! Shine!" These words actually were written to the people of Israel as they returned to Jerusalem from exile. They returned to their city in ruins. It was a dark and troubling time in their lives. Isaiah’s words are meant to be words of hope, comfort, encouragement. But they are odd words of comfort, aren’t they? What do you say to offer comfort to someone you care for? Things like: "It’s OK, relax, take it easy, don’t worry, I’ll take care of things." Wouldn’t you have expected God to say something to the Israelites like, "Be calm; do not fear. I will bring divine light into this difficult time." But that’s not quite how it comes out in Isaiah’s prophecy. Through the prophet God says to the people, "The glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Your light has come. So, Arise! Shine!  Directives. Imperatives. Your light—the light of God given for you—has come, so get up and be that light in the world. Spread the glory of the Lord; let the light shine forth in your lives.

It takes work to quash the light of the Lord within our lives. But we do it. We do it because we’re too burdened to think about anything other than where we need to be next. We do it because we’re too selfish or lazy to think beyond ourselves at all. Or we quash God’s light within us mostly, I think, because we feel uncomfortable or self-conscious "publicly" bearing God’s light. The whole idea that others might see and know that God’s light burns in our hearts can be an uncomfortable one. But we need to let it shine! We need to let this great light of God’s shine forth. As we cherish the true light that has been born in our hearts this Christmas, surely we may agree that the world needs this light.

So let God’s great light shine. Let God’s light shine from your heart to the person next to you this morning. (Surely it would be safe here in church). Maybe he’s had a trying time and needs a ray of light in his life. Or maybe she’s had a glorious Christmas and together you may rejoice in the wonder of God’s love. Maybe the people next to you are new in church. They didn’t come in these doors to get out of the cold; they came seeking God’s presence. God’s light. Will you keep it hidden from them? Let God’s great light shine in your neighborhood; imagine its rays streaming from you to the house next door. Imagine yourself an Olympic torchbearer, passing the flame of God’s light to all whom you meet in your daily lives. We don’t have to create the light; God has done that. We don’t have to work to make it shine; God will do that. We just have to stop covering it and let God’s great light shine.

The star is one of the symbols of Epiphany. Annie Dillard has written about stars and Epiphany and about choices, "You don’t have to sit outside in the dark. If, however, you want to look at the stars darkness is necessary." We might modify her words. You have a a choice. You don’t have to go out into the dark, but if you want to shine, if you want to be a shining star, darkness is necessary. We might think of the darkness as our own personal darkness, as all of the reasons within our own lives that lead us to hide God’s light—our laziness, our selfishness, and especially that self-conscious discomfort we feel at being a bearer of God’s light. But it is only by entering this personal darkness that we may be Epiphany stars in the world.  We must enter the darkness of our discomfort and let God’s great light shine.

This great light of God’s, I’m gonna let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine.

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