As the earth orbits the sun and the season turns to Autumn, I hear the gentle ping of rain on the chimney cover and revel in the cloudy days and stormy weather. Not so much for the lack of light but the reduction of it, resulting in less allergies, sun burns, sweat and glaring reflections that hurt my eyes. I enjoy the winter weather as it matches my temperament of quiet introspection, sitting in my living room reading a book and listening to the rain outside. Less light has always felt more safe and comfortable to me, but not the absolute lack of light. I need a lamp to light the pages of my book or my way in a dark hallway as the storm rages outside. Or a candle when the electricity goes out. And, like Jesus was to his followers, I feel I am called to bring that softer light into a room or a conversation when things turn dark.
This is reflective of the role I play in bringing the light of Jesus into the world. I am not the one to shine out through the darkness like an angel calling to the shepherds to "be not afraid!" Rather, I bring a smaller, gentler light to share with those who might also be intimidated by harsher, more brilliant illumination. Though I may not shine brilliantly like a star, I hope that I can bring that gentler light into the lives of the people I encounter and treat them with the love and dignity that I am called to by Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit.
I work in customer service and I have been told that I am good at it. My supervisor has said that I am polite and helpful to the customers and give them the best service that I can, even when delivering bad news. I think that this is more of a gift from the Father than from any spirit of mine as I know myself to sometimes be impatient and frustrated. But my nature, as created by God, has also called me to treat my fellow travelers with dignity, respect and the love that God has granted me. In this small way, I can pass on some modicum of the salt and gentle light the He has asked me to share with those that I encounter.
Genesis 1:4
And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.
John 1:5
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
About the Author
Mark lives in Oregon with his lovely wife, Darla and enjoys reading, writing, playing games and working to make the world a better place. He currently serves CitySalt church as a sound engineer and on the church council.