You may find this hard to believe, but even as a grown man I still leave a night light on in the bathroom. I know (from experience) that at some point in the middle of the night, I will have to make a trip there. As you know my vision is not very good and it is difficult to find my glasses in the dark. But the night light gives me just enough light to find my way. It has nothing to do with fear, it has everything to do with necessity.
Unfortunately, we only have one available outlet in our bathroom, which means that when you use the hair dryer the night light gets unplugged. The little night light is superseded by the more powerful hair dryer. Sometimes the user of the hair dryer neglects to re-plug the night light. That means that I have to make my nightly journey in the dark. As trite as this all seems it is still symbolic. Power is given precedence over a "dimly burning wick."
This was one of the images Isaiah used to describe the faithful. God has made a covenant with God’s people to be "a light to the nations." God does not expect us to use force, such as political or military force. God expects us to provide light in the form of spiritual vision and enlightenment. The light Isaiah describes is not a searchlight like you find at an airport. It is a small, flickering flame.
In his book, What’s So Amazing About Grace, by Philip Yancey, he says, "Jesus’ images portray the kingdom as a kind of secret force. Sheep among wolves, treasure hidden in the field, the tiniest seed in the garden, wheat growing among weeds, a pinch of yeast worked into bread dough, a sprinkling of salt on meat." All these images, like the dimly burning wick, are metaphors for people of faith who spread the light in small, indiscreet ways.
The church does not have to be a powerful force in society. Rather, the church is about letting the light shine. I believe that the church tries to mirror the other institutions in society. By comparing it to corporations or government we are influenced to watch the "bottom line" and "implement policies." We live under the assumptions that "bigger is better" or we attempt to "keep up with the Jones’s."
Most of the people I encounter have faith and I have witnessed countless examples of how the faithful let their light shine. Because we live in a age of sensationalism, people are led to believe that what they do is insignificant. They feel inferior and lack self-esteem. They simply do not realize the distance their light can reach.
Dr. James C. Brown, (From A 5th Portion of Chicken Soup for the Soul), tells about the time he left his light on. Dr. Brown has a private practice and he would on occasion stay up late in his office, doing paperwork. One night he was studying patient charts when he heard a knock on the door. It was two o’clock in the morning and 16-year-old Brian, a patient of his, appeared at the door. "I was just out taking a walk and thinking," he replied. Dr. Brown invited him in and together they talked. Brian told the doctor about his girlfriend, who had just broken up with him. His grades were bad and his hopes of becoming an architect were dimming. His parents fought a lot and he felt it was his fault. He wasn’t even sure if God loved him.
Dr. Brown just listened and offered some encouragement. He also put him in touch with some of his architect friends. They talked for two hours then Dr. Brown drove Brian home. They kept in touch after that and Brian invited Dr. Brown to his graduation ceremony a year later. Inside was a note and Brian told the doctor that the night he passed by his office and saw the light on he was extremely depressed and contemplated taking his life. After their conversation Brian felt much better and followed through on the connections to the architects. He had been accepted to the university’s architecture school. He was very grateful and thankful that Dr. Brown had his light on that night.
Each of us has a light of our own. It is a light that leads to our hearts. People tend to underestimate the power of their light. They think unless they are glowing brightly or sending out giant beams of light they cannot be effective.
As servants of God, we are not called to crush our oppressors with powerful rays or build huge bonfires to get attention. It is a much subtler approach we are to take. The world is filled with blindness, darkness and bondage to sin. All it takes to free folks from their worlds of darkness is the tiniest flame, like my night light in the bathroom.
I am grateful for a fairly new addition to our modern automobiles. Many are now equipped with a glowing ring around the ignition. That means in the dark you can find the hole your key fits in. All that horsepower under the hood is totally useless unless you can find the place to insert your key.
Our lives are much the same. We don’t need enormous amounts of light to find our way. We simply need a little light to take the first step. One of the greatest gifts I received was the watch my wife gave me that has a button to light up the face in the dark. I have used it on many occasions, especially when sailing at neight in the Chesapeake Bay.
Dr. Brown gave a great gift to young Brian. He turned on the light that led to his mind and heart. That’s all Brian needed to begin his new journey. Isaiah is reminding us that to be a "light to the nations" is to turn on our lights, too. They too can be a gift to someone who lives in darkness.
Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio