"Hi Beam or Low Beam?" - John 3:14-21 - April 2, 2000

Charles Shulz, creator and author of the Peanuts cartoon characters often conveyed a message in his comic strips. In one strip he conveyed through Charlie Brown the need we have to be loved. Charlie Brown and Lucy are leaning over the proverbial fence speaking to one another:

CB: All it would take to make me happy is to have someone say he likes me.
Lucy: Are you sure?
CB: Of course I’m sure!
Lucy: You mean you’d be happy if someone merely said he or she likes you? Do you mean to tell me that someone has it within his or her power to make you happy merely by
doing such a simple thing?
CB: Yes! That’s exactly what I mean!
Lucy: Well, I don’t think that’s asking too much… I really don’t… (Now standing face to face, Lucy asks one more time) But you’re sure now? All you want is to have someone say, "I like you, Charlie Brown," and then you’ll be happy?
CB: And then I’ll be happy!
Lucy: (Lucy turns and walks away saying) I can’t do it!

What Lucy cannot do is say words of loving kindness to Charlie Brown. Lucy is living in the darkness. Lucy is not living in the light.

I believe that that the gospel of John is saying to us that we need to be people who live in the light rather than darkness. God wants us to be authentic, compassionate people whose works are compatible with what we believe. At least Lucy admitted she couldn’t do it. For had she said, "I like you" to Charlie Brown, her words wouldn’t be in sync with her beliefs. There is no way you can separate John 3:16 with John 3:19-21. Faith and works go hand in hand.

To withhold love is to live in the darkness. God wants our lights to shine. God doesn’t want us to hide our lamps under a bushel basket. Unfortunately, we live in a world that is more in the dark than in the light. This past week I received a phone call from a man who needed a place to stay for night. He was traveling from Louisville, on his way to Montana. He had just been released from prison and his car broke down. Being aware of the city’s transient program I told him a number to call and that they would give him a voucher for an area motel. I was proud of myself for knowing what to do and helping a man in need.

About two hours later the man called me back. It seems our local system had failed. Those in charge passed the buck and he was given the run-a-round. I really had other things to do and didn’t want to get involved so I suggested he try to make the next largest city where he might receive more help. I wasn’t willing to take the risk of helping a stranger in distress although I have to admit his story had some real holes. Had he called the church, during the day I might have tried harder to help him out.

I don’t think I am alone here, for I think there are times when all of us are more self-serving than being servants to others. We are fearful and unwilling to take risks. We are a lot more like Lucy than we are willing to admit. God wants us to let our lights shine but to be "a light to the nations" is not always simple.

God also wants us to live in the light. When the way is well lighted for us we can live without fear of the darkness. This past week I was returning from Dayton. It was in the middle of the afternoon and the sun was shining brightly. Believe it or not I was thinking about this text and how God enables us to see. About the same time there was a plumbing truck in front of me and we were just crossing Interstate 70 on a secondary road. All of the sudden a pipe popped off his truck and flew in the air. I immediately hit my breaks and avoided the steel pipe which could have easily broken my windshield.

The well lighted path kept me from being injured or having an accident. Had it been night fall the story could have easily had a different outcome. God wants us to see our way clear. God doesn’t want our vision to be obstructed. God wants us to live in the light.

I don’t see very well in the dark while driving, so I like to use my hi beam lights as much as possible. When my low beam lights are on I can’t see very far ahead. I like the way the hi beam lights permit me to see further down the road. They also enable me to see to each side of the road. I want to know if a deer is about to leap in front of me or some other object is approaching.

To live in God’s light is to live with our hi beams on instead of our low beams. It is living with the assurance that the light of God is steering us clear of danger and things that lurk in the darkness. It means looking to the light of God as the source that helps us see rather than other lights which are dim and inferior.

Just as low beam driving hinders our ability to see while driving at night, low beam living impairs our ability to see our way through life’s problems and challenges. Folks who are attempting to get by with lesser light are taking chances and very unaware of the world that is around them.

Most of the people I counsel are living with an overabundance of stress. They are overbooking their lives and do not include spiritual refreshment as a part of their weekly routine. Many are fearful and insecure. Almost no one knows how to cope with a crisis and just about everyone procrastinates. Only by living in the light of God can they find their way. I can help steer them to that light but each has to plug into the light source of God for themselves.

One time my daughter asked me to replace a headlight that had gone out. I told her that I would eventually get around to it. I was involved in a campaign to get our city to turn its street lights on that had been turned off due to budget restraints. Weeks passed and eventually the community convinced the city council that the added darkness in our community was putting us all at risk. They finally turned them all back on. Meanwhile, I forgot about my daughter’s headlight and a few weeks later she was cited for a violation. Now she had to pay a fine and I still had to pay for the new headlight.

When we live with our hi beams lights on we are seeing more clearly, attentive to the problems around us. We are also attending to those areas of our lives that need nourishment, renewal and rest. We are aware of the bigger picture, conscious of others who have needs or who are unable to see their way.

One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people can be. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" "It was great, Dad." "Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked. "Oh Yeah" said the son.

"So what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father. The son answered, "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, but they have friends to protect them."

With this the boy's father was speechless. Then his son added, "Thanks dad for showing me how poor we are." Too many times we forget what we have and concentrate on what we don't have. All too frequently we are living our lives on low beam. What the boy experienced on the farm was hi beam living, living in the light of God.

"And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that if may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God."

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio