A Simple Reflection, A Wake Up Call, A Reminder Daily we set out to the world full of grief, pain, hopelessness and

emptiness a lot of darkness in humanity. This darkness has many faces. It could be in the disabled person laying down on the streets with an open palm asking for a piece of bread, a sip of water, a bit of change, a speck of love. It could be in that greasy kid at the corner of your eye that reaches out a hand that has never even touched a pencil and stands on his bare feet that never felt anything else but the ground. It could be in a person you call your friend, a relative, a mother, a father, a loved one. It is found in different places. It could be in the office of a rich businessman, a professional whose life has been devoted to his career and charity but remains restless and empty and feels that his life hasnt amounted to anything. It could also be in that far away town in the mountains in which every man, woman and child goes hungry, gets sick because of unclean water and is deprived of any doctor, nurse, any medical professional, any social worker. They slowly wither away and sometimes die without seeing a health care provider. Yes, this is a generation of darkness, and a lot of sheep without a shepherd a world that we know desperately needs Christ. I remember this story from a Christian speaker who was involved in this project that aimed to get children out from trafficking and being sold for sex. There was one time she couldnt forget. She was in this shelter where they just saved a bunch of girls. Their story was that they were kidnapped and placed in a container. They were around 60. When they were taken out, around half of them were dead because the oxygen tank had failed. They were transferred to rubber boats and later the coastguard caught up on them. Now so that they wouldnt get caught the traffickers dumped the kids into the ocean, some of which never even saw an ocean in their lives. Only a handful of them survived. So she was talking to this little girl who was just saved and has been in the shelter for only 2 days, still traumatized and angry. The girl asked her, Why did you come here?. She replied that she was passionate about this, that she wanted to save and care for those who were abused and mistreated, and that God loves her. She was beginning this eloquent speech about God having a wonderful plan for this childs life, that Jesus Christ was her hope, her light and her life when the little girl interrupted her in a loud angry voice, If all of this is true if all of that youre telling me about this God you serve is true, then why didnt you come any sooner?. She froze. She couldnt think of any reason so much important that she couldnt come any sooner. She was sorry. Its not because God didnt hear this childs cries, because He definitely heard them. But it was because it took so long for her to respond to that. Like this girl, there are a lot of souls in this world who are crying out: Is there hope? If there is, then where are you? Why is it taking it so long to

come because as far as I can see there is nothing nothing at all that seems to be hopeful and thankful for? I agree with what the speaker said. Because its so true with most of us. On our watch, as the Church of Jesus Christ in this world, theres a lot of injustice, pain, hopelessness, darkness and that is unacceptable. We claim to be Gods children. We claim that we have that hope, that light, that life within us. We bear the name of Christ daily and yet we fail to respond and sometimes become ignorant and indifferent. We are guilty of staining His wonderful name by our actions or inactions. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:13-16 that You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of this 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. There is a purpose why the light and hope in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ lives in and among us. It is to bring hope to the hopeless and light to the darkness. If you truly are light, then it is about time for you to serve your purpose in the darkness. Matthew 28:19-20 teaches us Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you, And surely I am with you always, to the very end of age. When we are able to fully grasp the fact that Jesus is God, He is among us and that the same power that raised Christ from the dead is living in us, we see that there is nothing to fear and nothing to be ashamed of. I believe that Jesus is still at work in changing lives, bringing healing to the sick and saving people. And I have nothing to fear because I have faith that in whatever work God has prepared for me beforehand it is by His power that it shall come into fruition and not mine. He takes my weaknesses and makes it His strength. So I shall take into heart and obey His commands because I have faith in His character that he desires what is best for my life and for others. Greater is He who lives in us than he who is in the world. Matthew 9:36 tells us that Jesus had compassion over the crowds because they, were harassed and helpless. They were hopeless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then in the following verses he tells his disciples that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few and that they ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into the harvestfield. Maybe be its time for us to stop acting like Christians and start living as Christians. Its time for us to pray that we would have that same compassion for these lost sheep. Maybe its about time to stop being so fond of

praying for miracles but remain afraid to take that risk and enter the context in which miracles actually happen. Maybe its time for us to be Gods hands and feet - to be the workers that shall be sent to the harvestfield and bring this light that is in us to illuminate the darkness. I urge you brothers and sisters to live out our identities as Christians to live lives of faith, hope and love so that we may have the ability to listen when our Heavenly Father tells us to do something, the boldness and strength to obey his commands no matter how ridiculous or impossible they may seem and the perseverance to go on as we hold to Gods promises. I believe that this is our time, our greatest opportunity, now more than ever, to show the world how great our God is! No matter how deep the darkness is, you only need a tiny speck of light to irradiate everything. Within us is not just any light but the light that is brighter than the noontime sun, (Acts 22:6; Acts 26:13) what theologians call the Shekaina glory of our God, the father of heavenly lights (James 1:17), in Him there is no darkness (I John 1:5), who lives in unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:14-16). May the Name of the Lord be Forever Glorified and Praised!