A Spark in the Dark

We just celebrated the 4th of July this past week.  Celebrated the victory that was won by our continental army nearly two and half centuries ago to free us from the government we had been subject to previously.  And as a country, we have (seemingly) completely forgotten what they were fighting that war of independence for.  People have lost sight of the principles that drove us to revolution in the first place.  

The politicians that run this place are power thirsty pawns moved about by whatever whim strikes them rather than that which is good, true, and beautiful.  And the society around us screeches that we should embrace every scandalous sin that they want to do on a whim regardless of how very wrong it is.  

The thing about whims is that they’re rarely built upon solid principles, such as the ones this country was built upon, even if America admittedly fell short of realizing them for far too long.  

Aw, yes.  What a country completely worthy of celebrating.  

That sentiment doesn’t help though.  I get it…a week before America’s birthday this year, we watched two old dudes debate (if you can call it that) for the position of the next president.  They’ve both already been president…and their presidential terms left a lot to be desired.  Many of us wish they would give somebody else a turn…I mean surely in a country of 333.3 million people, these aren’t the best candidates available, right?  Neither of them are particularly desirable people, yet somehow we seem stuck with them.  As of now, the odds are, one or the other of these cringeworthy picks, will likely be president just six short months from now.  It’s as if our country’s demise is creeping ever closer to completion.  

Groan

Should we really celebrate?  

Of course we should  Because God is still on the throne regardless of whichever idiot is in the White House on the American one.  

Regardless of who holds that role, each day we should arise and thank Him anew for His blessing and repent of our wrongdoing.  America hasn’t always done the most bang up job on this front, and while it sometimes seems she is sliding ever so quickly down that proverbial slippery slope to her own destruction, that doesn’t mean that the principles upon which she was founded weren’t or aren’t worth celebrating.  

(Side note…who can honestly say that they always live up to the epitome of who they aspire to be?  Probably not you.  Definitely not me.)    

That can be a hard pill to swallow with all the wildness going on societally lately.  The last thing most of us feel like doing whilst in the midst of a precarious balancing act on the edge of a very steep cliff is celebratory dancing.  

“...do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Nehemiah 8:10

Funnily enough, Nehemiah 8 shares a story of Ezra bringing the Book of the Law before the people and reading it to them.  Doing so caused the people to understand and bow and worship and weep.  And yet, they were told to stop crying, to eat and drink and be merry.  In spite of all that had gone wrong? For what reason?  Because “the joy of the Lord is your strength.”  

That’s so convicting.  We all need that strength that only He can give.  And most of us aren’t returning from exile, rebuilding the ruins, and overcoming oppression like the people in Nehemiah were, are we?  Or are we?  

Whereas some have looked upon America as a modern day “promised land”, many have also made the argument that we ought to live as if we’re God’s people living in a foreign land.  Exiles in Babylon, where there’s worship of a whole lot other than the one true God.  

In my own personal life, I have certainly had seasons in which I have had been more of a struggler than a victor.  And if I’m being entirely transparent, there seems to be a backlog of such seasons in my life…unforeseen calamities, financial hardships, various heartaches, and most recently even a health scare we’re still trying to sort out.  Who has gone through this life and not encountered such trials?  

 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.

In the world you will have tribulation.

But take heart; I have overcome the world.” 

John 16:33

We will encounter difficulties in this world.  The Bible declares this is so.  Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise isn’t reading the Bible – it is full of countless people encountering troubles in this fallen world.  Yet, time after time God intervenes.  He definitely doesn’t always, or even usually do it in the way anyone expects Him to.  That’s the beauty of the story He’s writing.  We don’t see the plot twists coming.  Even if we were privy to such information, would we even have the faith to believe it?  

I know in some of my own situations, I sure wouldn’t have.  The faith came through growth brought on by the trials and the testing.  I’ve been refined by some fiery trials.  Thankfully, His work in my life wasn’t restricted to what my limited mind thought He was capable of actually doing.  Fortunately for me, He knows better than I do.  

 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,

declares the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, 

so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” 

Isaiah 55:8-9

Our personal lives are often a jumbled mess of the various troubles we’re facing because of this fallen world we’re living in.  The same can be said for political and cultural affairs.  As it turns out, things can’t exist in this world and not be marred by the ugliness of our sinfulness.  

That’s why it’s so distorted.  That’s why at times things are so broken we struggle to see why we should still celebrate them.  

Still.  

He is still good.  

And He is still God.  

Even when the circumstances aren’t good.  

And they make us want to scream like Charlie Brown, “GOOD GRIEF!!!!!”

But, I digress…back to my story.  This particular Independence Day, I was fortunate to be spending some time visiting family while my kids attended camp in their area for the week.  I’m from a small town that happens to be the middlemost itty-bitty city in the state of Kansas.  It’s sparsely inhabited flat land for miles upon miles in all directions.  Each year, my aunt hosts a pretty big 4th of July party, though my own attendance is hit or miss due to the distance.  At the end of a long day of festivities, I bid them goodbye and began the hour drive back to my sister’s house, where we were staying for the week.  The kids conked out in the car immediately.  And as I drove through the dark, vast, prairie land, I could see fireworks from many miles away being shot off here and there and there and there and there too.  All of them, celebrating this grand country we call home.  

Isolated sparks of brightness in a vast darkness.

It got me thinking.  Things seem awfully dark in this country these days.  There are evil things happening and folks don’t even try to hide a lot of the bad anymore, but instead they blast it out there for all of us to see and hear, a parade of sinful pride seeping into seemingly every nook and cranny of this country.  Churches, schools, libraries, parks, families…it seems even our “safe” places culturally have often become corrupted by the infiltration of these things.

Sure, we can let the cultural “creep” continue in this country.  They say pride comes before a fall and by the looks of it, America is aching for a big nasty hip breaker of a fall.  Especially when society is just throwing out all sorts of hazards in the hopes it’ll trip someone up.  Nobody is entirely immune to their efforts.  

With the exception of a hermit.  But, tempting as that may be, the good Lord doesn’t call His people to be social recluses, does He?

Thankfully we have His Word and His Spirit to guide us through such land mines of destruction.  Lord knows if we fail to be discerning in such difficult areas, the lines will become irrevocably blurred until we can no longer differentiate between the good and the bad.  We start to turn a blind eye to those things creeping in to our very own belief system.

Some people claim that we must counter the evil with acceptance and love.  What a dangerous idea that is.  Why would we think that accepting or affirming all that is wrong with the world will somehow set it right?  Real love doesn’t embrace wrong…it speaks hard truth out of a place of deep compassion and care and points people away from the evil and back at the Creator.  They need Him…We need Him.  And all of us fail to see Him at times because we allow ourselves to become consumed by things that aren’t of Him.  We let such darkness overcome us.  

The thing is that it doesn’t take a whole lot of light to infiltrate that darkness we see creeping ever closer in this country, be it politically, culturally, or even personally.  As I drove along that night, the sparks of light from these celebratory fireworks were visible far and wide…a glowing reminder that some things are well worth celebrating even when darkness surrounds us…because those sparks of truth, goodness, and beauty can set the world ablaze with light.  

How much more so for us who have the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?  

The story of Esther is always so encouraging.  Truly, your role as a person on this planet at this time and place was ordained by the Lord.  When we are tempted to shirk back down instead of being bold, we really should ask the age-old question of if this is our own “for such a time as this” moment.  

Should we still celebrate?

Should we still shine bright for Him?

Absolutely yes.  

A million times yes.

All the more so because of the moment we find ourselves in.

Now, fortunately for me, there weren’t any raging wildfires sparked by the fireworks I saw shooting off around me, so I was able to finish my journey safely that night.  It’s been a bit of a drought year here, so it wouldn’t take much for the endless fields to go up in flames, swallowing anything in their path.  

If we allow the cultural craziness to keep up its creep, then it will certainly continue to do so.  A totality of darkness is truly a terrifying thing.  People weren’t meant to live like that.  They literally go blind and lose their mind when deprived of light.  It overwhelms them mentally and physically.  It’s not meant to be.  

Light brings hope.  Light helps us to see clearly.  

What a metaphor that is for our cultural moment.  This country is so dark these days…and with that comes spiritual drought.  It may not know or acknowledge it, but this nation needs Jesus; America aches for the soothing water of His Word.  The glimmering sparks of light it sees here and there give hope that there’s still something good, true, and beautiful out there worth pursuing.  

 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 

Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand,

and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way,

let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works

and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” 

Matthew 5:14-16

God is the Giver of those things.  He is the reason for the hope that we have.  He is the reason we celebrate even in hard seasons.  The sparks lighting the sky here and there along the road I traveled that night could easily set something ablaze…and light a fire that burns brightly far and wide, visible for miles either by day or by night.  

Will we be willing to do the same, fellow Christians?  Will we live each day celebrating His goodness even in a nation that denies it?  Will we continue to kindle and feed the flames of our faith so that they can be seen and spread to others who desperately need this hope that we have?  

 “...honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense

to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you…” 

1 Peter 3:15

We have this hope within us.  So celebrate.  And let them see the source.