Coming Together to Find Light in Troy -- An Interfaith Response

 

 “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. ¹⁵ People do not light a lamp and put it under the bushel basket; rather, they put it on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

                We are living in a moment of darkness. The attack on innocents by Hamas in Israel together with the Israeli military response, leaving thousands of dead on both sides is a sign that we are living in dark times. While this is the event at the top of everyone’s minds, it’s not the only area of concern. There is the ongoing war in Ukraine, the war in Sudan, the growing political and cultural divisions in the United States, and unfortunately one more mass shooting just last night. These are just the concerns that immediately come to mind. There are many reasons to grieve. While we must grieve, we must do more. 

                In the Sermon on the Mount, after Jesus offers up the Beatitudes, he speaks of being salt (Matt. 5:13) and light (Matt. 5:14-16). I want to highlight the world about being a light to the world in this moment of darkness. That is because my friend Ed, who is Jewish, got together with another friend and ministerial colleague, Chris, to set up a gathering in our community where we can bring our lights so that together we might shine them into the darkness. This gathering here in Troy, Michigan, will be an interfaith gathering. It will feature Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and other faith traditions that are present in the community. We may have conflicting emotions and opinions about what is happening and why it’s happening, but as Ed and I spoke about the event and the situation we find ourselves in, we cannot let the darkness envelop our relationships which we’ve worked so diligently to build. In a conversation last night, Ed, Amin, and I explored our concerns further. We agree that while conflicts often draw upon religious differences, we will stand together as fellow human beings, indeed as children of God. 

                As we ponder the message that Jesus speaks of here in Matthew 5, let us consider how light works. If I light a candle in the darkness of the night I might light up a small area. I might be able to see where I’m going, but not much more than that. However, when we join together, light our candles, and together shine the light into the darkness, we can light up the world around us.

As the camp song puts it: “This little light of mine, let it shine, let it shine, let shine!” 

So, if you live in and around Troy Michigan, join us this coming Sunday at 7:00 PM at Northminster Presbyterian Church (3633 West Big Beaver Road). We will gather to hear words about light in the midst of darkness from our sacred writings, and we’ll share prayers for peace and justice.

Let us remember that in the opening lines of Genesis, when all was chaos, as the Spirit blew across the waters, and darkness covered the face of the deep,  God spoke:

 “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.” (Genesis 1:1-4)

 The light that shines in the darkness, it is good!  Therefore, may we shine our lights into the darkness, bearing witness to the world.