Being Light

Our church is the result of a larger church deciding to establish or plant a church in Raleigh. We have been a church for almost fifteen years. A few years ago our elders began praying about the possibility of planting a church somewhere that the gospel of Jesus Christ really needs to be proclaimed.. We are relatively new to our church so I am not sure how long it has been since this vision began to take shape. But this past summer we, a local church body, commissioned and sent five couples and their families to a town outside of Denver Colorado. Our youth minister, his wife and children, and four other families, gave up their jobs, sold their houses, said goodbye to  their friends and family and moved to Colorado.

We get reports on what is happening as this small group of Christians have begun to live life for Jesus by making new friends, being good neighbors, becoming involved in the schools their children attend, and just showing the light of Jesus Christ in this very dark place where they have settled. From what I have learned it appears that they have been successful in being accepted in the neighborhoods where they live. Let me share the last email that I received concerning an experience that one couple had.

One of the group gave a reason why God led them to the place they live. He or she said, “I just had coffee for 3 hours with 3 people from my neighborhood. I listened to story after story of bad marriages, miscarriage, divorce, abuse, suicide, job dissatisfaction, joblessness, and alcoholism. I heard gossip about neighbors hating other neighbors, Facebook drama, and bored spouses. All is not well in the hood. Peel back the layers of nice homes and pretty views of the mountains and you see - this place desperately needs Christ."  Andy, the one who is the leader of the group, said that this was a reminder and confirmation of the ministry that God has for them there.

I liked the conclusion given by the person who made this visit about peeling back the layers of nice homes and pretty Mountain Views. All is not well underneath the false facade of materialism. Reading this I concluded that this Denver bedroom community is not the only place that is experiencing the darkness of sin. Despite the fact that churches abound where I live and perhaps where you live, hidden behind the walls in every neighborhood are people without Jesus who are not happy, not satisfied, struggling to keep marriages alive, dealing with addictions and pain, and dread the new day which awaits them. As this visitor said, “This place needs Jesus.”

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We may not be called to move across the country like these people from our church, but if we know Jesus we are called to be the light to those living around us. We are called to let others know that Jesus will give them more than nice houses and cars, exotic trips, and a extravagant lifestyle. Jesus can give them eternal life and joy and peace in this world. We need to be the light of Jesus to the world in which we live. .