Shine in the Darkness

We live in a world of Dawn and Twilight.

And no, I am not referring to vampire books, don't get excited.

Dawn and Twilight...half way between light and dark.

Dawn and Twilight...both light and dark, but neither light or dark at the same time.


Dawn and Twilight...forms, colors, and paths are not hidden nor are they crystal clear.

Dawn and Twilight...a very comfortable place.  A place where we can have a foot in the Light and a foot in the Dark.

Christians who read the Bible and take it literally have trouble fitting in.

Not because we hate people or are bigots or want to oppress someone or are scared of opinions.

But because we are Day and Night people.  We are Light and Dark people.

Light and Dark people trying to live in a Dawn and Twilight world.

One of my favorite verses is this:

Philippians 2:14

"Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, in a crooked and depraved generations in which you shine like the stars in the universe."

Blameless.  Pure.  Non-complainers.  Non-arguers.

How many Dawn and Twilight people see us that way?

There are a group of Christians who take that to mean that, if the world finds our views harsh and uncomfortable, well, that should be an indication that we are shining too much.  We should fade into the Twilight a bit more.

But, when we try to assimilate too much...embrace the world too much by becoming like them...our stars are very hard to see.  All but the North Star can be seen at Dawn or Twilight.  Your shine is virtually extinguished in your compromise.

"Well, we don't want to turn people off!"

Okay, yes, that's always painful.  But, consider this...you are dimming your light to appease one group of people.   There are other Dawn and Twilight people who hate their world.  They are searching for answers.  They feel certain that the world is actually Light and Dark but don't know how to get there.  You've given them nothing to go by.  You, dear compromising Christian, are just one more Dawn and Twilight person to confuse them.

I was thinking today, very sadly, of a group of women who used to be acquaintances of mine.  Our children hung out sometimes.  We met at the pool.  They even came to my Bible Study several times.  That entire group has ostracized me now.  I am not sure why, but our only real link was my Bible Study.

Its a very loving study.  We have people from all sorts of religious backgrounds.  But we do not shy away from a central message that our hearts are unable to find God on our own because of our sin.  Jesus Christ died for our sins in order to give us a new heart, if we'd only receive it.  Amidst the laughter, my typos in the notes that always make vulgar words somehow, the encouragement, the snacks and the good times, the message is always there.

We do not strike out in anger against the world.  We do not react indignantly when someone questions what we teach or takes issue with a political difference.  We try not to be those "complainers and arguers" mentioned in Philippians.

But, the message is always there.

It grieves me that I have lost a few women in the process, it really does.  I start hearing the voices of Dawn and Twilight Christians saying, "See??  You've ostracized yourself from your community!  You've given them a bad impression of Jesus!"

Really.  Here's what being  "Like Jesus" looked like to...well...Jesus..

He says it Himself in John 15...

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also."

The fact is, I was increasingly uncomfortable with how greatly liked I was by the world 4 years ago.  I'm not lying.  I knew this verse and I knew it was a sign that I was not being like Jesus.  Jesus WAS love!  Jesus WAS mercy!  But Jesus was bold and honest and never shy-ed from the truth.  This is evidenced in the many violent reactions to His teachings.

He drew the line between Light and Darkness.  And it made Dawn and Twilight uncomfortable.

So, do I go about my neighborhood aggressively pushing my political stances and shaming others for not following my strict moral code?  No.  That's "complaining and arguing", I believe.

But I want desperately...most days...to live like a beacon of light in my neighborhood.  Hopefully, like a bright star where lost Dawn and Twilight people can come if they need prayer or answers.  I have come to realize that, Shining in the Darkness has its price.  But, for every person turned off by the contrast, I've had another attracted to the light.  You can't experience the incredible joy of one without risking the other.

As much as I pray for that little tiny group of women who shun me, if I had done what they wanted and faded into the world a bit more, I would have missed MANY more chances to reach out to women who hate the world but don't know how to escape.   Women who felt stuck but now have direction.  People who felt oppressed but have encountered freedom.
  
Jesus makes it clear.  Some will persecute.  Ohhhh, but others will "keep My word"!  The joy of helping a person in need is SO much greater than the contentment of fading into the twilight!

We need to stop acting like "The World" is only one group of people!  We need to start shining brightly for those In the World but who do not want to be Of the World.  They are out there!  But if you forsake shining as a Light in Darkness to embrace the easy road of Dawn and Twilight, you'll miss out.  

And you'll miss them.