Shine on

Do all things without murmuring and arguing, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world. ~ Philippians 2:14-15

Be a lamp, a lifeboat or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd. ~ Rumi
Sometimes a little good advice from Paul is a good way to start the day.
It reminds me perhaps of Jesus telling his followers not to hide their light under a bushel.  Jesus is the light of the world, and he has made us light as well.
Often, when I do my morning prayer, I keep a candle nearby to focus on.  When you study light - look at how it shines outward - you see that light just can't help but be light.  Light shines because it is light.
Stars shine because they are stars.
And Paul and Jesus remind us that people of the way - followers of Jesus - shine on because that's how they are meant to be.
We are meant to shine on.  It's the natural order of things.
How does that change how we approach our faith?  How does it affect how we see God in Christ?
Paul isn't calling the followers to preach or coerce or teach or lecture.  He's calling them to shine.
Light shines because it is light.
Stars shine because they are stars.
Jesus followers shine because they follow Jesus.
Shine on.

Jesus, light us up so that we can shine on always as we are meant to, helping light the path toward you.  Amen

Thoughts for engagement:

This morning, light a candle as you pray or do your devotions. Or even as you work. Every now and then, lift your eyes to see the flickering light and ask God to help you to shine as well.

Popular posts from this blog

The Gospel of Mark: Women at a Distance

There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.  These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem. ~ Mark 15:40-41 Where have all the disciples gone?  What about the crowds? Whose left? Some women. Standing at a distance. These two verses have always been poignant to me. We get so little in any of the gospels about the women following Jesus. But here's what we know about them. First, they paid the bills. And second: they stuck around. They would be the ones to watch Jesus die and the ones to visit his tomb. One of the things I've noticed about Mark is how he is able to say so much about people even by using so few words.  About Judas we know his character despite getting so little about him. About the woman who anoints Jesus, we know her generosity despite not even knowing her n...
Read more

Transformed through Courage: Esther

Then Esther spoke to Hathach and gave him a message for Mordecai, saying,  “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—all alike are to be put to death. Only if the king holds out the golden scepter to someone, may that person live. I myself have not been called to come in to the king for thirty days.”  When they told Mordecai what Esther had said,  Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews.  For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.”  Then Esther said in reply to Mordecai,  “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my beha...
Read more

The Gospel of Mark: The Crucifixion of Jesus

They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus.  Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull).  And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it.  And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take. It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.  The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.”  And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left.  Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days,  save yourself, and come down from the cross!”  In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himse...
Read more