| “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.
Matthew 5:14
We have seen ourselves as that light on a hill, O God of the ages;
we have believed ourselves to be
the shining example of all that is good in the world.
But lately our light has been dim,
and our good has been muddied by a hidden hate we try to deny.
We can’t help but wonder how the world sees us now,
We who have held a banner for rights and for equality,
We who have pointed fingers at those who abuse others,
We who have condemned acts of injustice in other lands,
How shines our light now?
Yet, despite our failings, our brokenness and our sin,
you still call us,
each of us and all of us,
to be the light of the world.
Even when we are ready to give up on us,
even when our sin is too great to bear,
you still call us,
each of us and all of us,
to be the light of the world.
There is too little light around us and within us right now,
God of mercy,
how can you still call us?
How can you still hope in us?
We long to be that light, Loving God. We long to be that hope.
Help us, now especially;
help us bring light to a world roiling in the gloom.
Help us claim the hope that we can be light,
as a nation, as a church,
as followers of the true Light of the World.
Help us find the way into the light. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Derek C. Weber, July 2020 |
