Meditation 244
Ephesians 5: 8-14
Now in the Lord you are light. Doesn’t that just take your breath away? It’s a pretty amazing thing to be told that you are light. Light is hopeful and inspiring. It helps us to see where we are going and it can give courage and motivation. Now that spring is almost here we are beginning to see more light at the beginning and the end of the day, and it lifts the heart. In the letter to the Ephesians Paul is telling the believers that they are light, they are no longer darkness. Verse 8 is a call to action as the believers are being encouraged to live as children of light. In our common vernacular we might say they “walk the talk.” Those who are followers of Jesus are given a new way of looking at the world.
The writer of Ephesians goes on to list some of the things that the children of the light should do, namely to find out what is pleasing to the Lord, and expose the works of darkness.
The things that are pleasing to the Lord are many. Jesus taught us to love one another as he loves us, and we know that when we love someone we act in that one’s best interest. Being made new by Jesus and becoming children of light we are able to show gospel love to the world. Ephesians also says to expose the works of darkness, which can sound like we are supposed to be on the look out for the mistakes of others. There is another way to expose works of darkness.
This week in the program “The Good Doctor” the main character, Shaun, is in a dilemma. He has Asperger’s syndrome and as such he is direct, factual and honest. He is incapable of deceit, and in the latest episode of the program he is conflicted when his girlfriend, Leah, wants his support when her car has been towed, she thinks unnecessarily. The tow truck driver, let’s call him Max, has the letter of the law on his side because she parked in the wrong spot. She was not blocking anyone, she was not obstructing traffic, and she was about to go to work. She argued with the driver, which had him increase the money she would have to pay to get her car back. Leah is angry at Shaun for not backing her up, and also determined to not pay what she feels is an unjust fee. She decides to unleash her fury in an internet character assassination if her car is not given back. Shaun is perplexed because he feels that in backing Leah up he will be participating in extortion. Then a co-worker points out that his choices are more than to either back Leah up or not, he also had the choice of showing another way to handle things. At the end of the show Shaun and Leah go to the lot where the car is being held, Leah makes her threat, Max does not back down, Shaun goes into the office as if he is going to pay, while signaling Leah to take his keys and start the car. She starts up the car, Shaun runs out of the office and jumps in the car, and they speed off. Later Shaun says that he had paid the original feel for parking in the wrong place because that is what was owed, and Leah gets his point.
We are asked to expose the works of darkness so that people will see the light. The light and goodness that we are given by Jesus can be the way others will see that they have good choices that can be made. Or as we read in 1 John, “if we walk in the light as [Jesus] is in the light we have fellowship with one another.” In the Lord we are light and our light joins the light of other believers, so that together we show God’s way.