You are the light of the world.
Matthew 5:14 (NRSV)
Isaiah says, “You shall go out with joy.”
Jesus says, “You are the light of the world.”
Taken together, we are “joyful lights” in the world. I really like that! But can light really be joyful? Isn’t light just light?
Energy poverty is a humanitarian crisis facing much of the world’s population. Solar Under the Sun (SUTS), a ministry of the Synod of the Sun, works to remedy this crisis one community at a time. By partnering with local churches and other agencies, SUTS installs small-scale solar energy systems to bring an abundant source of power to communities that have none.
When a system is installed, the whole thing looks utilitarian; a tall pole with electrical conduit running down the side and large solar panels on top. But then the lights come on, and the only things shining brighter than the sun are the faces of the partners in the community! It is in that moment that you realize what joyful light really is. Light bulbs make light. Neighbors partnering to build one another up make joyful light.
Joyful light is what happens when SUTS and our local partners work together to bring energy to a community that needs it. It is what happens when we reach out to a sibling in need. It is what happens anytime we share the hope we know in Christ. Joyful light is who we are called to be and what we are called to share.
Action: Find a place in your community that needs a bit of joyful light and be that light for someone.
Prayer: God of light and life, we are grateful for the joyful light of Christ in our lives, and we pray that you will give us eyes to see and hearts to share that joyful light in a dark and frightened world. Amen.
Dr. Robert Lowry is pastor of Westover Hills Presbyterian Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. He serves on the boards of the Vera Lloyd Family Services Foundation, Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center and Solar Under the Sun. He is a founder of the Mississippi Gender and Sexual Diversity Cooperative and is a past Mississippi Interfaith Lead for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. He and his husband, Brian, live in Little Rock with their 15-year-old Springer Spaniel Mo and 3-year-old Corgum Wednesday and Huck.
This year’s Path of Peace reflections are designed to help participants explore peacemaking efforts addressing some of the major issues of our time. The theme for the 29 days of the 2022 A Season of Peace is Led Forth in Peace: Critical Areas of Engagement for Peacemakers. With these daily reflections, we are invited to reflect upon ways to practice peace by engaging the following critical areas:
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- Climate change
- Nonviolence
- The intersection of poverty and racism
- Immigration/migration
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