Light Dispels Darkness
by Kevin McKee
A few years ago my wife bought me a Christmas gift that I’ve really enjoyed. I like to think of it as my “spy watch.” Actually, it is a Swiss Army watch. It has a button on the side that when pushed, floods the dark watch face with a blue light. Cool, right? When pushed three times, there is a small red light embedded in the face of the dark watch that blinks. This is so that the watch can be found in the dark. But I have to remember to make it flash before I take it off in the dark!
However, the light I use and enjoy more than all these is the one that illuminates when I press the button twice. When I do this, an exterior light – an LED light becomes a bright light that I can use as a small flashlight. This little LED light shines with unusual brightness. L – light, E – emitting, D – diode. I use it daily when I’m walking outside or inside a dark room or hallway.
Jesus said he was the light of the world (John 9:5). The Bible also says that he is the True Light coming into the world and giving light to all who believe in him (John 1:9). Jesus is the light that dispels darkness and overcomes spiritual darkness (John 1:5). The little LED light on my watch reminds me that just a little light dispels darkness.
But Jesus isn’t the only light. So are his followers. Christians are designed to be bright LED lights, shining brightly! L-light, E – emitting, D – disciples, if you will.
Jesus said, “ You are the light of the world. ” (Matt 5:14a, ESV). He was speaking to a crowd about life lived under the righteous rule of God as they followed him. But Jesus, knowing the human condition, didn’t stop with a statement, but followed it with an observation I believe can also be cautionary. “ A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matt 5:14b-16).
The Christians of Baton Rouge must find new ways to shine into our community. We face real challenges in our city. There are tensions in our city. Our murder rate is much too high. One way that I and others have found to be very helpful is for Christians to partner together from across the city, especially across racial lines. Such partnerships have allowed us to put our “LED” light on a stand, casting light more broadly. We at The Chapel have enjoyed a great praying partnership and serving together with Pastor Donald Hunter and New Beginning Baptist Church and Dr. Rene Brown and Mt. Zion First Baptist Church.
If you have questions about how to start and maintain such a light-shining partnership, please email me at Kevin@thechapelbr.com. If more such partnerships and relationships existed within our community, we would shine more brightly and the citizens of Baton Rouge would see our good works and give glory to the Father in heaven. It will take all of us to come together in small and large ways to shine as brightly as we can – find a buddy, come together and be a community of L – light, E- emitting D – disciples. U
Light.
Kevin McKee holds a bs from LsU, a Th.M. from Dallas Theological seminary, and a D.Min. from Gordon-Conwell Theological seminary. He has worked in churches in Texas, Colorado, and Louisiana (mostly at The Chapel on the Campus) as a youth pastor, college pastor, singles pastor, and teaching pastor. He is now the senior pastor at The Chapel, mainly at the LsU campus Location. His ministry has taken him all over the world, including Haiti, Dominican republic, Mexico, romania, brazil, China, Prague, and Africa. He and his wife Mary have four children.
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