ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
December 9, 2022
In yesterday’s Etching, I wrote about Isaiah 9 and a people walking in darkness. One verse later, we read how the divine light shines upon everyone who lives in the land of shadows. It sounds, no matter the translation, as if the light shines on everyone, because no matter who you are, there have been moments lived in the shadow of grief, despair, loneliness, pain, injustice, etc. The church, the community of those called to be mediators of the light, has too often found it disconcerting for “everyone” to be recipients of the light. As a result, the church has made a judgment call and stood between God and those in need of light, casting a church-shaped shadow over the intended recipients, who appear to be living in a land devoid of light.I do not believe that is our intended task. Instead, we are to be the instrument by which light is dispersed and delivered to those who have lived for far too long in the land of shadows. It is not our place to judge, but to celebrate a God who is seeking to use whatever mechanism is necessary to make sure that no one is left alone in the shadows.
When I go beyond the role to which I have been called, O God, be deliberate in beckoning me back to my task of reflecting your mercy, kindness and love into every corner of every life. Amen.
