Perspectives on Hope—Light in the Darkness

 

“By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”  Luke 1:78-79 (NRSV)

 

Samuel Rayan of India poetically proclaims, 

A candle-light is a protest at midnight.

It is a non-conformist.

It says to the darkness,

“I beg to differ.”

 

The ministry I now have the privilege of sharing with you gifts me with a fair amount of time on the highways, city streets and back roads of the Detroit Conference.   While I like to spend much of that time in quiet reflection, praying for you and this ministry or simply riding with God, I do listen a great deal to National Public Radio in order to keep aware that the rest of the world keeps moving along even in the midst of “Budget Season”! 

 

As I traveled this late fall season and into winter, I would hear of troop and police movements in Central Africa—I would wonder and worry about the defenseless civilians.  I heard of protests in Iran around possible election corruption--I wondered and worried about the ethics of political systems there and here, and the implications for justice everywhere.  I heard about wounded soldiers and civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Palestine, Israel, Philippines and elsewhere--I wondered and worried about so many who live daily in the “darkness and shadow of death” and what ever happened to the one who came to “guide our feet into the way of peace.”  I heard about “Gross National Products” and “Capital Gains”.  I wondered and worried about the grossness of malnutrition and the loss of adequate and affordable housing.  I heard about hate groups and intolerance.  I wondered and worried about what happened to a vision of the “beloved community”.

 

In the midst of all of this, mostly I wonder about us—the people and congregations of the Detroit Conference of The United Methodist Church. Once in awhile I worry about us, but mostly I pray and give thanks for the light that shines out through us into the communities and world that may think they live in darkness.  Then the Holy One that came to live among us reminds me once again that “What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”   (John 1:3b-5)

 

In these more recent days, like you, I have wondered and worried, and worked and prayed for our sisters and brothers in Haiti.  I have grieved news of the death of persons I have known and the death of the unnamed persons that someone else has known.  I have rejoiced in the stories of those Haitian civilians and international rescue teams that have worked tirelessly to bring forth lives out of the darkness of crushed concrete.  One story that stood out was the elderly woman rescued from the home of the Roman Catholic Archbishop.  She was there for a meeting when the earthquake struck.  Tragically the Archbishop himself was killed, but thankfully this woman remained alive for days in the darkness of the rubble. She shared that she prayed the whole time, and did not need another human being during this time.  She held onto the Light that shone in the darkness and the darkness could not and did not overcome it.  A Mexican rescue worker kept at it until he finally touched her hand and kissed it even as she patted his hand in kind return.

 

I invite you—I implore you in this season of incarnational hope to be a living lighted candle of hope-filled protest against the darkness.  Christ calls us to proclaim in our programs, our worship services, our welcoming evangelism, our outreach efforts, our justice activities, our very lives, “I beg to differ” when darkness seeks to cloud into people’s lives and communities.

 

May these words from the late and wondrous spiritual giant, Howard Thurman, open the window for new light to shine in this time:

 

Walk with us as we wrestle to find a way to reveal Thy life and Thy spirit and Thy mind, O God, that we may be true to the light.

 

In Christ’s circle,

 

Rev. Dr. Jerome “Jerry” DeVine

jdevine@detroitconference.org

By: Rev. Dr. Jerome (Jerry) DeVine On 1/20/2010
Topics: Leadership

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