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A few weeks ago I mentioned the privilege of teaching “Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition” for our District. The last class was this past week, and one of the foundations I regularly returned to was the need to offer ministry from our own stories and experiences. This doesn’t mean we need to have it perfect in order to serve – trust me on this – but that being genuine, being yourself, is what we are all called to. There are plenty of reminders around this in scripture, around the sufficiency of God’s grace, the unique and beloved creation we each are… but I’ve been thinking about Matthew 5.14, when Jesus offers to all present: You are the light of the world. If anyone ever asked me for five books they should read, one of them would undoubtedly be Tattoos on the Heart by Father Gregory Boyle. In it he shares stories of the inception and growth of Homeboy Industries, the most successful gang intervention program in North America. Aside from the joy of partnering with them in previous work, his book shaped my own experience of God’s grace, not least from his reflection on Matthew 5.14. He writes: Jesus says, “You are the light of the world.” I like even more what Jesus doesn’t say. He does not say, “One day, if you are more perfect and try really hard, you’ll be light.” No. He says, straight out, “You are light.” It is the truth of who you are, waiting only for you to discover it.
It is the truth. And that’s not just what Father G thinks, it’s what Jesus spoke. Preached. Was written down in scripture. What we read in Matthew 5. You are the light of the world. You… yes, you. I don’t know what you might hold up as a disqualifier, but God does. And God still says “you.” And not who you might be, but who you are. Present tense. Maybe you aren’t living into it, maybe you don’t even fully believe it. But God does. I pray for that discovery in my own life to continue, and invite you to join me in seeking and praying for your own. The truth of who we are, the light of the world. So that each of us, as the sermon continues, would let [our] light shine before people, so they can see the good things [we] do and praise [our] Father who is in heaven (5.16). Thanks be to God. Rev. Ben Richards
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