Reading: Ephesians 5:12-14

Ephesians 5:14 – “Therefore it says, ‘Wake up, sleeper! Get up from the dead, and Christ will shine in you.'”

Reading verse 12, perhaps you too had a person or a situation come to mind. We live in a world and time when I watch or read the news, when I scroll social media, or when I hear a conversation or presentation and I shake my head in sorrow or sadness or disbelief. Disgust and anger are felt often too. Many times I wonder how those in power can be okay with what our world has become. “Embarrassing” is a good word for our day too.

Paul reminds us, as he did on Friday when we read the first part of this passage, that the light reveals the truth about the darkness. Our call as followers of Jesus is to expose the darkness to the light. To that end Paul writes, “Therefore it says, ‘Wake up, sleeper! Get up from the dead, and Christ will shine in you.'” He is quoting from Isaiah 29 and 60. We recall that the prophet spoke to a people who worshipped the idols of this world, forgetting the Lord their God. 70 years in exile served as their wake-up call. While we may not worship Baal or other ancient ‘gods,’ there are certainly no shortage of false gods that create evil and darkness in our world today.

What might God be calling us to wake up to today? What are the evils and darkness of our time? In my little part of the world, poverty, hunger, and homelessness first come to mind. If the circle expands a bit wider, the list grows quickly. As followers of Christ, we are charged with caring for “the least of these,” as Jesus called them. We should do so in practical ways, feeding and clothing and housing those in need. But we should also shine a light on those in power who allow and often times create, defend, and sustain unjust systems that lead to these evils. We should speak, work, and be socially active in ways that seek to dismantle these systems and to disempower those who strive to maintain the “status quo” – all for personal gain. In these ways we will shine the light of Christ into the darkness of the world, bringing God’s goodness, justice, and truth to the world. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, the task at hand feels huge. In our own power, we are weak. But in and through you, we are strong. So, Lord, first open our eyes to the suffering, need, and darkness of our world. Then fill our hearts with compassion and love for the marginalized, the powerless, the voiceless. From there, use our hands, feet, and voices to provide for and to meet basic, physical needs. Then empower us to speak, to stand, and to work to create a more just and fair world. In all these ways, may Christ shine in us and out into the darkness of our world. Amen.