Children of the Light

June is my absolute favourite month, and it’s my favourite for several reasons – summer arrives, the flowers are blooming, the trees are leafing out, and, most of all, there is a lot of light.

Why do I love light so much? Maybe it’s because I’m a Christian. In 1 Thessalonians 5:5 (NIV), Paul makes it as clear as can be. “You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.”

One of the things I love about Catch the Fire Ottawa is how many bright and shiny people we have. One of our worship leaders, Amy, put it perfectly a while back, when she said there is a “sparkle” in the members of our congregation.

I was once fortunate enough to visit Scandinavia in mid-June. Because it’s so far north, it almost never gets dark at the start of summer. It was a revelation to me. Darkness. Who needs it?

The Swedes celebrate the summer solstice, as do many other cultures. Unfortunately, a lot of these tend to be pagan festivals. It would be great if the church took the lead in claiming this time of year as our own.

After all, the Bible is full of passages that highlight, pardon the pun, light. 

God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5, NIV)

In John 8:12 (NIV), Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.” 

And in Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV), Jesus tells His followers, You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

So, church, this is our time. This is who we are. Light! Let’s embrace it! Let’s celebrate it! Let’s shine!