It’s another grey day here in this massive metropolis. This part of the world has between 250 and 300 foggy, cloudy or rainy days a year according to chinahighlights.com. Because of that, however, this city is verdant with trees, vines, moss and … er … mould. It’s wonderful to be back.
In this context, it seems that God is teaching me about light. At least, that has been the theme for the weekend.
The face of God shining on us
At the start of each month, I usually take a half day mini-retreat. Yesterday, the theme that emerged was a prayer that God would shine his face on the people and places I’m visiting just now. (See Psalm 67.) Indeed, I felt God’s special favour – his face shining on me – right there and then as I luxuriated in splendid solitude in an ancient courtyard of what is now a modern coffee shop. I had the space all to myself.
After leaving the cafe, I prayer walked this neighbourhood where I once lived. ‘May God shine his face on this person and that one, and the communities each represents,’ I prayed. I spotted a woman with blue and pink coloured cotton thread in her hair and prayed extra enthusiastically for her, for her hair adornments tells me that she comes from a part of the mountains especially dear to my heart.
Children of Light
Today I attended a service in a local church and was both surprised and yet not to find that the sermon topic dovetailed very nicely with my theme of praying for God to shine his face on people. The topic was ‘Being children of light’. The text was Ephesians 5:8-10. My heart bounces and my face smiles unbidden when our Lord teaches me in ways that unmistakably have his handprint on them.
Pastor Zhu stood at the lectern robed in black with a red stole, white high collared shirt and a brilliant jade bracelet which flashed when her hand movements were vigorous. “Live as children of the light,” she urged us. “Live transparent lives. We have nothing to hide. Live good lives. Ordered lives. Build others up. Don’t envy others for that is as bad as idolatry.” Envy and idolatry … that’s a sobering thought.
Fruit of the light
‘Fruit of the Spirit’ is a concept I am familiar with but ‘fruit of the light’? Yet there it is, plain as day in any language, Chinese, English or Greek, in Ephesians 5:9: “… for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth…”.
I am reminded afresh that all I am called to be or do during my current travels is to live as a daughter of the light, exhibiting the fruit that comes from who I am in Jesus.
A friend asked me the other day about my ‘objectives for this trip.’ I told her that I have three objectives: to encourage (give courage to) friends here, to make headway on some study deadlines and to prayer walk wherever I visit. All that is entirely appropriate for a tourist. But somehow my explanation seemed a little lacking for somebody who is obsessed with everything she says and does being significant.
Goodness, righteousness and truth … there aren’t any laws against such things. May I be exceptionally fruitful in terms of producing ‘fruit of the light’. That befits a daughter of the light, wherever in the world she may be. That is significant enough.
Order and light
Pastor Zhu made a link between order and light that had never before occurred to me. In Genesis 1, we read that the earth was formless, empty and DARK. It wasn’t just dim, but it was pitch black. Day in and day out … only there weren’t any days.
Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. That was the beginning of the order of night and day. Later, celestial lights were introduced to mark seasons, days and years. They bring order to our lives, both as individuals and as communities.
As children of light, our lives are ordered. That is something I shall endeavour to remember next time I am tempted to slack off during a work day, or feel that I have to work on a rest day or late into the night. Especially as my study deadlines draw closer.
Local policies
The country I am visiting has two policies related to light and which are of particular interest to me right now … policies that pastor Zhu did not touch on, possibly because they’re sensitive. The first is ‘Leave no dark corner,’ and the second urges citizens to ‘Sweep away the blackness’. They aim for transparency in society and ridding it of harmful elements.
As children of the light, we, more than anybody else, ought to live transparent lives. We have nothing to hide, though of course there is a place for wisdom in all we do and say. Yes, it’s complex. We want society to be swept clean of destructive philosophies and activities. We want to BLESS our communities.
As a tourist in a part of the world I love deeply, I can only ‘be’. In some other parts of the world, there are all sorts of activities that I could be involved along the way. But not here. Not at this point in history. This weekend, I sensed God’s encouragement that just ‘being’ is enough. As I travel, I radiate light. At least, that is my hope and prayer.
On the road again
As I write this blog post, I am coming to the end of part one of this trip. It’s almost time to pack my bags again and leave this verdant city for the crisp autumn air of the mountains. I am excited and a little nervous, for there have been a lot of changes up there since I last visited.
And yet what do I have to fear? I am a child of the light. I don’t know what the next week will bring, but I intend to encourage friends, work on my study and prayer walk in each place I visit. I am looking forward to the literal sunlight and to enjoying good and perfect gifts given by the ‘Father of Lights’ (James 1:17).
The one who said “Let there be light” at the beginning of time (Genesis 1:3), the one who sent his Son into the world as “the true light that gives light to every man” (John 1:9) at the point that divides the calendar for many of us, is himself the light of the city of God to which we already belong (Revelation 21:23). On a grey weekend in a bustling city in Asia, he has encouraged and enlightened his daughter … a daughter of light … one of many children of light here. I am grateful.
May God be glorified as his people radiate light wherever they are scattered. May his light spread in intensity and breadth.
One reply on “Daughters of Light”
What a beautiful writing, Suzanne. This so encouraged my heart – for situations here as well as for there. I will be thinking for you & all there to be shining lights!