Light conquers darkness

I’m not sure how many of you watched much of the inauguration of President Trump on Friday. I was in the car and heard much of the ceremony and his inauguration speech. Without going into much detail there was one bit where I cringed (even more than in the rest of it !). The President said, ‘From this day forward, it's going to be only America first. America first….’ 

Much as that language might sound good and appealing and rabble rousing to some there is absolutely no Christian basis for it at all because God simply doesn’t put boundaries around things – We do that. 

God doesn’t say to first look after ourselves at the expense of others. In fact when we look at Jesus his commands are about love and about concern for others, particularly those who are struggling… 

Our readings today help to emphasise some of this and they also remind us where our focus has to be – on Jesus and on the good news of his kingdom… A kingdom that has no earthly boundaries, that sees no division between people and that is marked by the obvious quality of love… 

Going back in history from President Trump to the true story of another ruler… In the eleventh century, King Henry III of Bavaria grew tired of court life and the pressures of being a monarch. He made an application to Prior Richard at a local monastery, asking to be accepted as a contemplative and spend the rest of his life in the monastery. "Your Majesty," said Prior Richard, "do you understand that the pledge here is one of obedience? That will be hard because you have been a king."

"I understand," said Henry. "The rest of my life I will be obedient to you, as Christ leads."

"Then I will tell you what to do," said Prior Richard. "Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place where God has put you." The King did this and when he died, a statement was written: "The King learned to rule by being obedient." It’s a great lesson for us all, not just rulers, as so often we impose our will on things and think our way must be right !

Being called to do something is a common trait for us all - called to be perhaps a Vicar, a teacher, an engineer, a doctor, a builder, a President or king or queen or anything else. And there is one common thing to which we are called as Christians and that is to proclaim the gospel message through our lives, whether it be in words or actions, or more likely a combination of both. 

And our readings this morning help us with that theme of calling. In the gospel (Matt 4:12-23) we hear of the calling of some of the disciples. Jesus said to Peter and Andrew, 'Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.' It was tremendously important that as he called the disciples he also outlined some of what he was calling them to do - they were to fish for people. In other words they were to share the gospel message they had accepted. As Christians each of us have that calling too.

When we answer God’s call we’re accepting an incredible privilege, but also taking on a responsibility… United as part of the family of God throughout the world we are to be ambassadors for him, but therein lies a problem which we will probably all understand and it's one that was apparent in the early church too. 

In his 1st letter to the Corinthians (1:10-18) Paul is addressing a church that is in danger because of divisions. He had founded this church not very long before but some of the church members there had forgotten much of the basis of their faith and had started to do things which simply weren’t things that Jesus would have done, so Paul wrote, reminding them of their unity in Christ… 

And that’s really key for us today in the church. Last week we had the Ministry area inauguration service and the Bishop spoke powerfully about our need to be seen as Good News – Yes, working together as churches we need to be and share good news, but also as individuals we need to ask ourselves how we are being and sharing good news…. 

To be honest I can’t see how a country or an individual that puts itself first above everything else can be good news – and sometimes as churches we need to be careful not to do the same sort of thing – that is defend our church above everything else. It’s easy to get into a mind-set of looking after OUR building, OUR church, OUR money, but it surely isn’t God’s way…

As I said, God doesn’t put boundaries around things in the way we do – God says to love our neighbour, whoever that neighbour is; God says to care for those in need, whoever they are; God says to pray for those who try to hurt us; God says to love one another – just as he loves us…. 

Sometimes though, when we respond to a call as part of the Christian church, we still get things wrong. We meet other personalities who we find difficult, we find people of different traditions and backgrounds who may have very different ideas to ours and we realise that life as part of the Christian family isn't easy. 

And we’re not alone - It was into situations like this that Paul offered these words that remain as relevant today as they were then - whatever differences we may have they are nowhere near as important as the unity we have as part of the family of God, and as part of that family we are to recognise that the exact details of doctrine or practice are much less important than proclaiming the gospel - not with eloquent wisdom as Paul puts it, but with a life where people can recognise something of Jesus in us.

Like the willing response of the first disciples to follow Jesus, living as a family is not easy. But the Christian life was nevereasy. It is life - and we will face all of the complications that others face, but what is different is that we do it secure in the knowledge that we live with Christ alongside us. 

The good news we proclaim is not of an easy life, but a life lived in a relationship of love which is unbreakable, a life where we, in whatever situation we find ourselves, can know that we are never alone and never will be. A life where light always shines in the darkness… 

From the Old Testament reading from Isaiah (9:1-4) we are invited to look for inspiration with some of the best words of the whole bible, 'The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness - on them light has shined.' The words remind us that Jesus has stepped into the darkness of the world and has changed it forever, and has changed us forever. 

Going back to the gospel again that is the message we are given - we are told that after John the Baptist had been arrested Jesus left his home in Nazareth and moved to Capernaum, by the sea. It was a fulfilment of what the prophet Isaiah had written, 'Land of Zebulun and Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles - the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death, light has dawned.' 

And so began the ministry of Jesus on earth - and that ministry has never stopped, just as his love never stops. The world may occasionally look pretty dark around us but Jesus invites us to live secure in the knowledge that light always conquers darknessand he encourages us to share that message, that for all people, a light has shined and is shining that will never go out. That light is Jesus, and we need to tell people about him…. 

The psalm (27) begins, 'The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom then shall I fear.' Our focus must be on Jesus – we will have different styles of worship, we will look different, we will react differently to things, we will sometimes even disagree with each other, but let’s do everything in love – so that God’s light shines out from us and from our churches – that people see good news, really good news, that people see smiling faces, that people see brothers and sisters united in love for each other and the world around us, that people see that we try to love each other just as God loves us – and each other includes people outside these walls, people who we might even find it difficult to like or to know what to do with… God loves us, God loves them – and we are called to show it regardless of what we get back…  

At this time, may we pray for those in authority everywhere, that they may not be constrained by self-interest, but reflect God’s goodness and seek to share his compassion to all people, particularly those who are in real need. 

May we trust that working together we have a message that is good news for all around us to hear. And may we commit ourselves to sharing that message and learning more about that good news for ourselves, that our lives may be continually changed by God’s presence with us…. Amen