Bringing out the God-colours in the world.

Finally, draft number 1 of the new book, INSALTED, is completed.  A simple summary of the theme of the book is as follows: “Christianity inside-out.”  When we reflect the Christ that lives within us to a world that lives with us, then our Christianity is turned inside out.

In all the hours that I spent exploring the seventy-eight virtues of an insalted life, one after the other, two principles stood out and perhaps best summarise the content of this book:

• When we are insalted (“You are the salt of the earth”) we provide flavour.
• When we are transparent (“You are the light of the world”) we reflect colour

Virtue number 49 is about TRANSPARENCY, the colour we reflect.

• Hebrews 1:3  The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.
• Matthew 5:14  “You are the light of the world …”

Oh, how glorious.  What a life-giving Gospel!  When we are insalted, we provide flavour.  When we are transparent, we reflect colour.   In our pursuit to BE the light of the world, we are called to be the radiance of God’s glory.  But this virtue could so easily lead us on a rabbit trail of using our light to expose darkness instead of radiating goodness.

The word transparent comes from Medieval Latin ‘transparentem’ which means to “show light through.”  This is an act of revealing beauty, a virtue of delight.  Pursuing the virtue of transparency grows in, and exists for, radiating God’s glory and allowing the light of His goodness to shine through us.

Light is not the absence of darkness – darkness is the absence of light.  Light does not oppose or fight darkness.  When light enters, darkness leaves – at exactly the same speed.  We do not seek darkness in the world and then expose it by shining light on it.  We simply radiate light and darkness has no option but to leave.  Light is also not scared of darkness.  As a matter of fact, light looks at its best when it is dark

The Bible might not address the current challenges of a global pandemic, ISIS, terrorism or an economic collapse per se, but it does provide principles in how believers should respond.  One such scripture is found in Matthew 5:14  “You are the light of the world …”  It is a call to transparency.  We need to be transparent by allowing the light of Christ to shine through us in a season of uncertainty.

This image, of being the light of the world, is given at the Sermon on the Mount, directly after teaching the beatitudes.  This provides a clear indication that the context of “BEING LIGHT” lies not in revealing evil but in reflecting beauty.  In this season of uncertainty and fear, Christians have a mandate to refrain from revealing all the evil of the pandemic, and to reveal the beauty of Christ.

Consider the following:  Light is not something that you can touch or see.  Scientists describe it as electromagnetic radiation – something that collides with an object and then the light is reflected back towards our eyes. When this reflected portion collides with your retina, you see the object.  Light exists for the purpose of reflecting the object the onlooker should see, not to reveal the darkness that it hides.

Jeremy Statton explores it as follows on his blog (http://www.jeremystatton.com/purpose-light):

Sometimes when this phenomenon of reflected electromagnetic radiation hits our retinas, something amazing happens:  The light reflects beauty.  The red rose is red because it reflects only the light waves that our eyes interpret as red. As if that was not enough, the beauty doesn’t stop there. Our sensory cortex sends a signal to another portion of our brain and we feel something.  The light finds the beauty and sends portions of itself back at you so that you can see it. And feel it.

My experience is that most preachers emphasize the intensity of that light. They want your light to shine brightly. To be a high wattage light bulb so that the light will fill the darkness.  But maybe brightness is not the right emphasis. If all we do is give others images in black and grey and white, we have not done enough. Light reflects beauty. Light finds what is good and brings it out for others to enjoy.

The Message translates this passage differently:  “You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world.”

God’s fingerprints are to be found everywhere. In the rose. The diamond. In my children. In the pandemic.  In the fear and uncertainty.  We can choose to expose the darkness or reflect the beauty.  When we seek to be the light of the world, we must shine brightly. But we must also find beauty in what we shine on. We need to bring out the best in others. We need to see their intrinsic value and beauty.

Do you shine brightly? Do you bring out the God-colours of the world?