“Oh holy night, the stars are brightly shining…” Just as the wise men looked to the stars many Christmases ago, we too seek a bright star to guide us in our celebration of Jesus’ birth. Throughout the season of Advent, we are sharing daily reflections from the people of Saint Luke to help brighten our paths. Our daily writers offer to us their reflections on the various names used for Jesus in the Bible. Together their stars form a constellation of wonder that can fill us with hope, love, peace and joy as we journey towards Christmas.
Today’s reflection is from TJ aka Thelma Jacks. She has been a member of Saint Luke since 2011 and has been involved in a wide variety of ministries such as social ministry, human resources ministry, generosity ministry, and more!
THE LIGHT
“While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” -John 9:5
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”’ -John 8:12
When I think of Jesus as the “light of the world,” many images come to mind: wisdom, knowledge, hope and promise, truth, purity, etc. Jesus is all these images and more. Although all images resonate with me, the one that came to mind upon the first reading of these verses was “hope and promise.” I thought of Harriet Tubman and her multiple journeys leading slaves from the South to the North. By night she used the light of the North Star to guide her fellow travelers to hope and promise.
Christians are called to be the light of the world.
There are many unrecognized “Harriet Tubman’s” using the light of hope and promise to guide others from darkness to light. These modern-day Harriet Tubman’s can be found in the classrooms of our public and private schools, in our churches teaching Sunday School, Adult Education, and Confirmation classes, in recovery centers helping those held hostage by unresolved trauma, drug addiction, and sexual assault, at Police Athletic League centers, at homeless shelters, in nursing homes, at places of employment, etc. These are ordinary people doing God’s work by spreading the Good News of the Gospel, loving thy neighbor as God has loved us, and having no other god before Him. These ordinary people carry and shine a bright light---the hope and promise of our Lord Jesus Christ through their service to others!
No matter how small or large the light may be, let it shine so that others may see it. That light just might begin the faith journey of its viewers.
This little light of mine. I’m gonna let it shine. Amen.