Blinded by the Light
I sat there this morning, burning boxes in my fire pit and talking to God. I sat in the sunlight, but placed my face in direct line of a shadow cast by one of the posts of my back porch.
I had taken off my glasses because I like to see the light cast by the sun all around. You see, my glasses do that shading thing when in the sunlight. Sure it looks cool, but everything just seems darker. I like the light. It feels good, and makes everything so bright, even in dark times. The problem is, if you look at it directly, as they say, it will burn your eyes out.
It is always the eyes. That seems to be the epitome of destruction. "You will shoot your eye out!" "Don't do that, you will go blind!" Yea, the end of all things is losing your sight. But what do you really see in the shadow? You don't see the light directly. Sure it's dangerous. But isn't the light, the heat and the pure power it represents, just plain awesome?
We are afraid to look at the Light directly. It is threatening, all that power. So this is what we do. We look instead at little lights. Tiny ones in comparison to the Great Light. Men and women who just seem to shine. Doctors in some theology. Professors in Ministry. Big names and big people. Yes, they do seem impressive. However, they are nothing in comparison to the Light of God Himself. That Light just looks like it will consume everything. OOOOOO! Scary! Oh, but look at the little lights! They are so shiny! All they really do is stand between you and the Light of God and cast their own shadow.
One of the more respected pastors I have had once said to me. "Our job as ministers of the Gospel is not to be the answer or have all the answers. Our job is just to point to the answer. We are sign posts on the road, nothing more, pointing the way to Jesus". We point to the Light of the World. We are not the Light. If we get in between God and His people all we will do is cast a shadow.
Sure, it seems safer. Yes, people like it. Why? I think it is because they are afraid. Afraid to look directly into the Light that offers freedom and true security. We call them Fathers, Popes, Pastors, Teachers. Truly, it doesn't matter who they are, they are just men. Jesus said to call no man Father, Master or Teacher on the earth. Clearly, He was not talking about our biological fathers, no, he was talking about our leaders. The ones who are tasked by God to point to Him. Yet, they ignore His command and so do we. We like the little lights. They are less threatening, less dangerous. Oh, that is so not true.
The shadow is much more dangerous that the Light. It gives a false security. It points only to itself. This is what the idols were, shadows. Anything in between us and the Light is casting nothing but a darkened shadow, preventing the direct Light and Power to be seen. Sure, you can still see the corona of the Light. The glow from around the shadow, but it is still not the Light. This is bad, much worse than people seem to realize. Why else do so many fall away from God when one of these little lights goes out. They are following the shadow, so when it goes dark, really dark, they turn from the Light altogether. This is because, they never knew the Light, never felt its direct warmth. All they ever knew was the shadow.
Many years ago, I had a few little lights treat me rather bad. This was actually a good thing. I had to learn to look around them and go directly to the source of the Light. This is where I became a true follower of Jesus Christ and not just a Catholic, Baptist or even a Charismatic. I became a child of the Light. I don't often read books from the little lights. Sure, I can get information from them. But I would much rather get the information from the Light Himself. I have spent a larger amount of time in the scriptures and less and less in other sources. I don't care if the guy sports a long title...MA, TH, BA, DR... it is all BS to me. It means nothing if there is no example, no relationship to see that they truly follow God. Sadly, most of the times that I started to look more promisingly at one of these little lights, they showed that their walk with God was not even where mine was.
Yes, I can hear God from any source, but the trick is to HEAR God. I listen for His voice everywhere. I want to look directly into the light. I want it to burn the crap out of me. Yes, all of the foul, stinky things...destroyed by the heat of His power and grace. This won't happen if I live in the shadow.
Sure, we have all been told since we were little, "Don't look directly into the light!" I tell you, no, the light will not consume you, but it will change you. Cast away the shadows, the little lights. Go stand in the Light directly. There is nothing to be afraid of.