Arise & Shine

​When our children were young, Kathie would wake them up for school by busting into their bedrooms singing a song about Noah and the Ark. The chorus of the song went like this:​

Arise and shine and give God the glory, glory
Arise and shine and give God the glory, glory
ARISE AND SHINE AND GIVE GOD THE GLORY, GLORY
Children of the Lord!

​The kids would usually moan and groan rather than arise and shine. They would pull the covers back over their heads and pretend the scene was a bad recurring dream.
 
Some folks, like my wife Kathie, are morning people. They jump out bed and say: Good morning God!
 
Others, like my children, roll out of bed and say: Good God, its morning!
 
I’m more like my kids. It’s usually after 10:00 o’clock and two cups of coffee before I know God exists.
 
I might be wrong but I think Jesus is a morning person. I have a hunch that long before any of us get out of bed, he’s up and singing—waiting for us to let our lights shine. He knows the world needs the people of God to bring light and hope to the dark places looming in every corner of the globe.

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminds us that we are children of light and that he longs for us to arise and shine:
​
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

​Marianne Williamson, once said, “Light is to darkness what love is to fear; in the presence of one the other disappears." The world is haunted by fear and hate. From racism to road rage, from domestic violence in the hidden corners of homes to mass shooting of innocent people in the Public Square, from abject poverty to corporate greed, we see expressions of darkness based in fear and hate.

​
​The world needs the people of God to arise and shine. We must never become complacent, pulling the covers over our heads, pretending it’s all a bad dream. Instead, we must stand against the forces of darkness and resist colluding with them.

Martin Luther King Jr. reminds us that, “darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”  

I read a quote from Francis of Assisi that gives me a reason to hope. In his simple, yet profound way, he said, “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” Saint Francis reminds me that one life can make a difference. We can bring light and hope to our corner of the world . . . if we will let our light shine and resist colluding with the darkness.

    Today is a good day to
    arise and shine,
    ​and
    give God glory!