“Light Keepers”
A Sermon by Rev. Patrice Ficken
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Sanbornton Congregational Church, UCC
January 28, 2007
(Please do not re-print or re-use without permission of the author)
The poet Rumi wrote, “Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.”
As we hear again these familiar, beloved verses from Corinthians about love, it strikes me that these words are a kind of lamp – shining the light on our path, helping us to find our way through life.
It’s one of a handful passages that are read both at weddings and funerals. On a wedding day, it serves as a kind of aspiration – something to live toward, to aim toward. Not so different for funerals – the words can highlight a life well-loved; or again provide lamp to our feet – reminding us – that to love, even when someone who has held the light for us has passed.
On this Annual meeting Sunday – I’m grateful that our lectionary has pointed us to the passage on love to remind us once more – that whether our church budget reflects the priorities we think are important, whether we agree with the pastor or support Vision 2008 – what it most important, and the reason we are here – is to love each other. As Paul says so beautifully, if we forget this – we are no more than clanging symbols. If in all our committee reports and deliberations we have forgotten to love each other then we might as well close up shop.
Another way to say this is that we are keepers of the light here on this hill. The reason we are here, is to tend to the light – the light given to us in the love we have known in Christ. We are here to bear witness to the “light that shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:5)
The question, challenge, and opportunity for each of us is how much light can we hold? How much light can we each bear? How much light are we willing to shine? What is our voltage? Do we want to be a little pocket light – or a great beacon of light – like a lighthouse shining out on rough seas and rocky shores?
Our church is only a reflection of the light each of us is willing to carry – it is a reflection of how much we are willing to develop and grow in our capacity to love.
Julia Cameron in her book, “Transitions” – writes: “Love requires generosity. Love requires daring and expansion.” (p. 24)
And yet, too often we hide our light under a bushel, or expect others to carry the light on our behalf. It is a common pitfall in marriages – whatever we lack we hope our spouse will complete for us.
Laurie Colwin, in her book, “Shine On, Bright and Dangerous Object” describes what drew her at first to her husband. How he shined forth for her; how she was attracted to the light he held – his brightness, his daring, his way of living life.
“When I met him, he seemed to me like some bright, dangerous object on a dark road that you go toward because it shines at you. Up close yo see that it is a phosphorescent marker, or a white stone, or a patch of luminescent tape, but before you see what it is, all you see is brightness facing you out of the night, and if you are alone on the road, it is beautiful and frightening.” (p. 68)
Thich Naht Hanh distinguishes between 2 words for love in Vietnamese. The love that is passionate – and kind of a flash in the pan; and the love that is steady, and true – the love that comes by supporting each other through life’s difficulties and challenges.
Yet what kind of lighthouse – shines just part of the time, or on just part of the horizon, or for large ships rather than small?
Part of our growth is coming to terms with – what are the reasons we withhold our light, our love from others?
This is exactly what Paul was addressing in his letter to the Corinthians. That community was dealing with all kinds of differences and barriers to their ability to love freely – the free looking down upon the slave, the Jews on the Gentiles, the rich on the poor. No, he said, the “better way,” the only way is the way of loving.
To see others through the eyes of love is to see others the way God sees us. We need to remember that we can only see through the glass dimly – our perceptions, family histories, our unique personality quirks – are all filters that prevent us from seeing others clearly – even when we’re working to be aware of things that blind us from seeing clearly.
This reminds us – that our ability to shine the light depends on many factors.
And so we come to appreciate that shining our light, learning to love generously and extravagantly is not for the faint of heart. It takes courage to shine the light in the darkness.
Ask anyone who has marched for peace or for civil rights.
Ask anyone who has dared speak the truth in love.
We know this from the way Jesus lived and died – that shining the light of truth, of love, of freedom, of peace – takes tremendous courage.
This is the life we aspire to lead. This is the way of light, truth and love that we as Christians follow. Is it the only way to the light? No. But it is the way we have chosen.
Can we try to go it alone out there in the world? Sure. A lot of people these days believe that church is not for them or that they don’t need church to help them find their way.
But I know for me, speaking personally now, it was the church that held the light for me in a time of darkness in my life. It was the church that helped me to remember my own capacity to shine, to love, to grow. It was something I had forgotten. It was something that others had led me to believe that I was not worthy to shine; or that I was incapable of shining. I met others who were able to hold the Christ light for me in the shadow of my own darkness and fear. It is in gratitude for those light keepers that I answered the call to ministry.
As Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” He did not say – because he had come that we did not need to carry it anymore. No, our call as Christians, as a church is to bear the light: to become the brightest beacons of light that we possibly can. In a world that can at times feel so dark, what could be a higher, more important calling?
AMEN
