A Light Shining

Waking, light gently glowed from another part of the house. I was still early--much too early to start the day. Moving quietly from her room, she made her way down the hall until she could see into the room on the front side of the house. There, sitting on the couch sat her father, head down, reading.

The book in his hand was old and worn. The front cover was in tatters, but he held it in his hands, like a well-loved friend. His fingers stroked the page as he followed them in his reading. He read slowly--savoring each word. Often he would go back to read something over again, or flipped to another section of the book--read a bit--and then back again.

"What are you doing daddy?" she asked as she moved into the room.

"Just reading and thinking, baby. Did the light wake you?"

"No, I woke up and saw the light. So I came to check it out and saw you."

Moving to sit beside him on the couch, leaning her head on his shoulder, she looked to see what he was reading--his Bible. Sitting together in the quiet of the night they talked . . . about God, love, sacrifice, and of grace. He shared with her his heart, doubts, and questions. Before either of them realized it--it was morning. Sounds of mother/wife working in the kitchen as she prepared a meal for them to start their day filtered through to them as they continued to talk . . . and just be together.

Seeing the two sitting together, she went about opening doors and curtains, readying the house to greet the new day. As the sun rose, the rays shone through the opened interior door illuminating the way.

"Baby, I wish I had more understanding. Sometimes it is hard to understand God's ways. That's part of why I work hard to give you the education I never had. My family needed the income, so I went to work after the sixth grade, but you . . . I want you to be able to do whatever you choose. "

"It's kind of like the light shining over there. I know I can see better with more light, but I don't know how light exists. I just know it does. You studied it in school and could explain it to me, but that doesn't really matter. I still know it exists because I've experienced it. Sort of like God. You have all this theological education and know things I can't even wrap my mind around, but knowing God . . . is like knowing light. You experience God just like you experience light."

"I was reading in John about the woman about to be stoned to death. Jesus told those who didn't sin to go on and stone her and when they all left Jesus told her to go and sin no more. Jesus went on to say 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me won't walk in darkness but will have the light of life.' I don't understand what makes light, but I know it is real and each day I experience it--I understand it a bit more."

Too often in our lives we try to intellectualize, dissect, or define God. How God should act . . . be; what God should allow; who God should love; who/what God should hate we try to capture. Yet God's ways . . . we just don't get. We simply can't wrap our minds around God. We can't put God in a box. Somehow, there is always more of God to learn . . . to discover . . . to know. God shed the light of God's love, understanding, and grace upon us if we will follow.

God of light, shine in our lives and our world. Teach us to follow your ways. Help us to learn more of you; to be gracious; to love. As we wonder through life, help us to let your light shine through us so that others may also experience you. Let there be light--for you are the light of the world. So be it. Amen.