Children of the Light

I have fond memories of being a camper at Camp Clark Williamson in Jackson, TN.   I distinctly remember swimming, evening worship in the vesper area, and cabin time at night.  I can also remember not being so fond of the quiet time we were forced to endure each evening.  We would be told to find a spot to just sit and listen.  I remember thinking that this was such a waste of my precious camp time.  I could be running.  I could be playing with my friends.  I could be doing anything except just sitting and listening.  But then something would happen….my eyes would adjust to the diminishing light and I would just watch the day change to evening.   In the short time (which seemed like hours), the day would shift from bright sunshine to a sunset.  Night at camp was something else entirely.  In my early years, the darkness was sometimes a little frightening as you scampered to the shower at 9:00…or provided exciting cover for you to jump out and scare a friend.

The comparison between night and dark is easily recognizable to anyone – even my eleven-year-old self.  How often have you stood outside at night and noticed complete darkness that surrounding you?  You must have an understanding of the darkness of night to understand the stark brightness that the morning brings.  The drowsiness of an evening is unlike the alertness that coffee on a sunny porch introduces.

Our passage today tells us that we are children of the light.  It tells us that “we do not belong to the night or the darkness.”   At CCW, I wanted to be one of those children of the light.  I still do – being children of the light entitles us to the clarity and awakeness that only the sunshine can bring.  Belonging to the day means that we can’t hide things in darkness or ignore the parts of each of us that hide in the shadow.  As Jesus calls us “light,” we should embrace that and share that light all around us.  Just as the morning dawn brings forth brilliant sunshine and color, a life lived in “light” can share that same brightness to others.