Be the Light!
Indianapolis First Friends Quaker Meeting
Pastor Bob Henry
July 16, 2023
Good morning Friends, and welcome to Light Reflections. Today at the Meeting is VBS Kickoff Sunday and we are excited to present a Stellar program again this year. The scripture I chose for this morning is Matthew 5:14-16 from the Message version.
“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
With our theme for VBS this year being about Space, it reminded me that I am a part of Generation X – also known to some as the Space Shuttle Era. I grew up, like many of you who were part of the Space Race Era a generation before, engrossed with watching spacecraft heading off the planet into space. Unlike the rockets of the previous era, I grew up with what looked like a large airplane called a space shuttle - one that took off like a rocket and landed like a plane. It did not take just a couple people into space, but rather an entire crew of astronauts and scientists.
From early on, my young mind was captivated by space exploration and the space shuttle program. Instead of Rock & Roll posters in my room, I had posters of the space shuttle. Deep down I wanted to grow up to be an astronaut. To help instill these dreams, between my Kindergarten and 1st grade year my parents took me to what was then called Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida the home of NASA and the Space Shuttle Program.
There I learned about the history of space flight, went out to a launch pad, and even saw my first glimpse of the actual Space Shuttle from a distance through the giant open doors of NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building. I remember being so small compared to the giant vehicles used by NASA, yet my excitement and dreams were really growing big!
At the Kennedy Space Center shop, I could barely contain my desire to purchase everything in sight. I wanted photo postcards, coins, patches, models – you name it – anything with my future emblazoned on it. I did get a few of those trinkets, but the greatest gift I took home that day was a blue astronaut jumpsuit – just like the astronauts wore before heading to space. My parents bought it large, so I would grow into it. But since it was like coveralls – I knew I had plenty of time to enjoy it. I liked wearing my jumpsuit and pretending I was an astronaut. My friends were envious of me.
By second grade, I was still really into the Space Shuttle program. I think my love for Star Wars was fueling this deep desire for space travel and learning about the program. Our school librarian, Mrs. Holly always invited my class up to watch the space shuttle launches on the Library TV. If I knew in advance, I would wear my astronaut jumpsuit.
Well, one launch, I had been prepared and was wearing my jumpsuit. Not realizing I had had a growth spurt over the summer months, I went to sit down on the floor with my class in front of the TV when I heard a big rip. Immediately my friend, Tim, saw the damage to my space suit. My Luke Skywalker Underoos were hanging out my backside. Quickly, Tim moved in behind me to cover the damage. Even though I was embarrassed, I remember thinking – I cannot miss the launch. So, we sat through the launch, Tim walked behind me all the way back to my room for last period. I slid my backpack over my back and quickly went to the car lane after school to see if my mom could fix the damage.
The sad news then was delivered – I was getting too big and would have to give up wearing the jumpsuit. I mourned the demise of that jumpsuit, but my dreams continued. Even though I did not have the jumpsuit, Tim and I continued to help Mrs. Holly in the Library when launches were to take place. We did this until 1986 - my 7th grade year - when things came to a rather horrific stop.
Tim and I were helping Mrs. Holly on January 28th to record the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger. Space Shuttle missions had become regular occurrences for us by now, but this one had a special passenger – a teacher named Christa McAuliffe. Our principal had asked that we record the special event so that we could watch it at a special assembly at the end of the week. Tim, Mrs. Holly, and I prepared the VHS tape and pressed record as soon as we heard the words, “We interrupt this program to bring you the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger.” Since we had watched many launches, we were making chit-chat with Mrs. Holly as the countdown began. As it came closer to launch, we turned our attention to the screen.
Now, for those of you in the previous generation, you know where you were and what you were doing when you heard that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. And for the Millenials, you remember where you were the day the Twin Towers fell in New York. But for me and Genneration X, it will be January 28th the day that 73 seconds into flight, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart and disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean killing all seven crew members.
Mrs. Holly, Tim, and I stood there before the TV in utter shock at what we just witnessed. In that moment, we were the only people in our school who knew and witnessed what had just taken place. Mrs. Holly put her arms around us and drew us into her as a mother would her children. Then she asked me to go inform the principal as to what transpired. Most of the students were headed to lunch, and I remember our principal, Mr. Richert, grabbed the intercom and in a somber tone shared the sad truth, offered a prayer, and then gave time for silence. I could see the sadness in his eyes as he left to visit each of the classrooms.
Tim and I were invited to stay in the principal’s office for a while before heading back to our classroom to get ourselves in order. The rest of the day we spent talking with our caring teachers about the disaster – some parents came and picked up their children, and the United States went into mourning the loss of seven incredible people and dreams of exploring space. Even my dreams were thwarted by this one event.
For several weeks, even months, there was a hopelessness that fell upon the United States. It happens every time there is a tragedy in our world, today. Whether it is a space shuttle tragedy (which we have had two of now) or a mass shooting at a school, people keep trying to process the devastation and wondering what they can do?
What can you or I do to make a difference during times of tremendous pain and darkness? The Space Shuttle Tragedy shook me and made me feel helpless as a child and still today every time there is a mass shooting I feel very similar.
The darkness is quick to descend and consume in these tragic times. Yet where there is darkness, we must seek to find and be the Light!
Much like Mrs. Holly or Mr. Reichert who chose to shine their Lights into the darkness of that Space Shuttle tragedy by giving us hugs, listening to us, giving us space to grieve and surrounding us with love, we each have this opportunity to shine our Lights into the darkness of our world.
Writer Holly Sidell says,
“We each have our own way of shining our light in the world…doctors shine their light by healing people, janitors shine their light by allowing us clean spaces in which to shine our light, teachers empower students to learn how to shine their own light, and so on.
Or, it doesn’t even have to do with our job. It can just do with us, who we are at our core. Do you have a beautiful singing voice that brings chills to people’s arms and tears to their eyes? Do you have incredible patience, or are you a great listener? Do you bake delicious chocolate chip cookies that make people think of the safety and warmth of a mother’s love?
Are you yourself, sick and going through your own healing process? You shine your light through that healing process of healing yourself…and in healing yourself, you can begin to heal the world. Are you, or have you, recovered from an addiction? That shines enormous amounts of light.
We don’t have to be all guru-super-“woo woo” spiritual to shine our light…We just light up the world by doing what we were born to do – whether it’s a job, a passion, or a hobby. We light up the world by treating the person next to us with kindness, compassion, and human dignity.”
That is what I experienced in that moment of tragedy, and that is also what I believe our scripture was trying to teach us this morning.
You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world… Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
And to be this light and bring out the God-colors in the world, Paul gave some reminders to the Philippians of what that will entail. In Philippians 2:14-16 it says:
“Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed!”
So, to be the Light we must first take time to check our attitudes.
Then he says, “Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society.”
So, check your attitudes and then consider your example.
Then he says, Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I’ll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns.
Thus, we are to bring hope by how we live out the life and example that Christ gave us.
And finally, You’ll be living proof that I didn’t go to all this work for nothing.
So, let me recap - to be Light in the world we need to:
· Check our Attitudes
· Consider our Examples
· Bring hope by How We Live.
· Become the Living Proof of God’s Light in the world. – BE THE LIGHT!
We may not be able to erase the darkness of tragedies, but we can shine our Light so the darkness does not overcome us.
And today as we kick off our Stellar Vacation Bible School this is what we are going to be instilling in our children throughout this week - how they too can shine their lights in this often dark world.
I am excited that in today’s lesson we will be looking at “When Life Feels Dark, Shine Jesus’ Light!” and then through the rest of the week we will be looking at
When people don’t get along, Shine Jesus’ Light!
When good things happen, Shine Jesus’ Light!
When people are sad, Shine Jesus’ Light!
When people need help, Shine Jesus’ Light!
Along the way, I am sure we will need to check our attitudes, consider our examples, work to bring hope in how we live, all so we can become the living proof that God’s Light is in the world!
So, folks, there will always be darkness in our world…tragedies, death, war, but you and I can make a difference – because we can choose to BE THE LIGHT!
Now as we enter waiting worship, take a moment to consider the following queries:
· Do I believe my Light can change my world?
· Am I doing what I was born to do?
· Who do I know who has suffered through tragedy and needs my presence, today?