Children of God, Children of Light

It doesn’t take long to notice the darkness in our world. Tragedy, injustice, division—it can feel constant and overwhelming. We’re often told that to care deeply means to sit in the darkness indefinitely. But Jesus gives a different calling in Matthew 5:14–16: we are the light of the world.

Key Scripture

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden… let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” — Matthew 5:14–16

Highlights

• Christians are called to acknowledge darkness without dwelling in it

• God’s kingdom—marked by peace, joy, and love—is a greater reality than despair

• “Prophetic imagination” helps us envision renewal where others see only ruin

• A small light can dispel great darkness when we carry Christ’s presence faithfully

• Being light is not about prominence or power—it’s about faithful presence

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Full Transcript Below:

Children of God, Children of Light

By Deidre Braley

Bible Reading:
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:14-16

It is easy to see the darkness in our world—that is no earth-shattering statement. We live in a world where terrible things happen, and where it is expected that we dwell in the darkness in the name of empathy. We are told that it is hypocrisy and a privilege to look away, and so we stare into it until it engulfs us too. We think this is what it means to “mourn with those who mourn.” We think this is love.

But as children of God, we have a responsibility to acknowledge the darkness, and even to address it, without allowing it to swallow up the Light to which we belong. We are not powerless victims in the face of darkness. We are image-bearers of a King who reigns with peace, and joy, and love. It is hard to believe, but these are an even more powerful reality than the darkness. And it is our job to speak of—and live within!—this reality in a way that illuminates every place where the kingdom of God is already in our midst here on Earth. This is not toxic positivity—this is what biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann calls our prophetic imagination, which is our ability to engage with God’s power and potential for newness. It is to live within the expansive mind of God, rather than the closed reality of this world.

Henri Nouwen puts it this way:

People who have come to know the joy of God do not deny the darkness, but they choose not to live in it. They claim that the light that shines in the darkness can be trusted more than the darkness itself and that a little bit of light can dispel a lot of darkness. They point each other to flashes of light here and there, and remind each other that they reveal the hidden but real presence of God.

The Return of the Prodigal Son, p. 117

As Jesus said, we are the light of the world. This is not to say that, as children of God, we are superior, or that we deserve platforms and prominence and loudspeakers and political power. It is to say that we carry a flame inside our spirits that was given to us by the Spirit, and that it is our job to bring it into every place we set foot and to say, “Here. I know it is dark. But come now, I have a little light. And a little light goes a long way.” It is to use our prophetic imagination to spin a picture of renewal in places where, right now, it seems too dark to see.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

I once had an employer who said, “Don’t come to me with a problem just to complain. Come to me with a solution, and then we’ll have something to work with.”

I think of this often whenever I spend time on social media, where it seems that people are shouting about problems without offering even a whisper of a solution. As people of the Light, we were made to rush toward the darkness not so we can stay and ruminate in it—but rather, to illuminate it.

Admittedly, it’s easier said than done. In truth, the dark sometimes feels very dark. In times when we struggle to believe that the light is more powerful than the dark, or that the light even exists at all, here is a helpful prayer to try:

Lord,
Right now, the dark feels very dark. Please help me to see what’s in front of me through the lens of your imagination. Show me where newness is possible. Let me see what you’re doing here, and sharpen my perception of your kingdom in our midst. Help me to see the light. Help me to be the light.
Amen.

Further Reading:
John 8:12

2 Corinthians 4

The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann

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