Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. (Isaiah 60:1)
Isaiah addressed a discouraged people. Conditions were hard in Judah and money was tight. Yet amid this struggle and poverty sounds the prophetic imperative: “Arise, shine.”
“But.” “If.” “If only.” The excuses come so easily. We hear the call to let our lights shine and respond: “But I don’t know enough” (my personal favorite), or “If I had more time.” “If only I had more experience, then I’d surely volunteer.” There goes the light, tucked safely under the bushel basket.
Surely there are times to take stock and question whether your gifts are the right ones for the moment at hand. Most of the time, however, we could risk shining a little brighter. We are called to arise and shine, and we can by the grace of God. The light of Christ will guide us.
This message is excerpted from the January 3, 2018, Cafe Faith Reflection “Arise, Shine this Epiphany,” by Jennifer Baker-Trinity.
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