1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 2: Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're glad to have you 3 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:19,920 Speaker 2: listening with us. Today's topic is about what our responsibility 4 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 2: is as children of the Light. We'll return with the 5 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 2: devotional after a brief message from our sponsors. Children of God. 6 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:48,159 Speaker 2: Children of Light, written and read by djre Brayley Matthew 7 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:52,559 Speaker 2: five fourteen through sixteen says you are the light of 8 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 2: the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 9 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 2: Neither do people light a lamp and put it under 10 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 2: a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and 11 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 2: it gives light to everyone in the house. In the 12 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 2: same way, let your light shine before others, that they 13 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 2: may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven. 14 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 2: It is easy to see the darkness in our world. 15 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:23,560 Speaker 2: That is no earth shattering statement. We live in a 16 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:27,200 Speaker 2: world where terrible things happen, and where it is almost 17 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 2: expected that we dwell in the darkness. In the name 18 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:34,400 Speaker 2: of empathy. We are told that it is a hypocrisy 19 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:37,959 Speaker 2: and a privilege to look away, and so we stare 20 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 2: into it until it engulfs us too. We think this 21 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:45,279 Speaker 2: is what it means to mourn with those who mourn. 22 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 2: We think this is love. But as children of God, 23 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 2: we have our responsibility to acknowledge the darkness and even 24 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 2: to address it without allowing it to swallow up the 25 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 2: light to which we belong. We are not powerless victims 26 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:08,079 Speaker 2: in the face of darkness. We are image bearers of 27 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 2: a king who reigns with peace and joy and love. 28 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 2: It is hard to believe, but these are in even 29 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:21,119 Speaker 2: more powerful reality than the darkness, and it is our 30 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:25,800 Speaker 2: job to speak of and live within this reality in 31 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 2: a way that illuminates every place where The Kingdom of 32 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 2: God is already in our midst here on earth. This 33 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 2: is not toxic positivity. This is what biblical scholar Walter 34 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:43,640 Speaker 2: Brugamann calls our prophetic imagination, which is our ability to 35 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 2: engage with God's power and potential for newness. It is 36 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 2: to live within the expansive mind of God rather than 37 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 2: the closed reality of this world. Henry Nawin puts it 38 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 2: this way. People who have come to know the joy 39 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 2: of God do not deny the darkness, but they choose 40 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 2: not to live in it. They claim that the light 41 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 2: that shines in the darkness can be trusted more than 42 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:14,360 Speaker 2: the darkness itself, and that a little bit of light 43 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 2: can dispel a lot of darkness. They point each other 44 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 2: to flashes of light here and there, and remind each 45 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 2: other that they reveal the hidden but very real presence 46 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 2: of God. As Jesus said, we are the light of 47 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 2: the world. 48 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 1: This is not to say that. 49 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 2: As children of God we are superior, or that we 50 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 2: deserve platforms and prominence and loud speakers and political power. 51 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 2: It is to say that we carry a flame inside 52 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 2: our spirits that was given to us by the Spirit, 53 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 2: and that is our job to bring it into every 54 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 2: place we set foot, and to say, here, I know 55 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 2: it is dark, but come now, I have a little light, 56 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 2: and a little light goes a long way. It is 57 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 2: to use our prophetic imagination to spin a picture of 58 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 2: renewal in places where right now it seems too dark 59 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 2: to see. Intersecting faith and life. I once had an 60 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 2: employer who said, don't come to me with a problem 61 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:29,720 Speaker 2: just to complain. Come to me with a solution, and 62 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:33,479 Speaker 2: then we'll have something to work with. I think of 63 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 2: this often whenever I spend time on social media, where 64 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 2: it seems that people are shouting about problems without offering 65 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 2: even a whisper of a solution. As people of the light, 66 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 2: we were made to rush toward the darkness, not so 67 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 2: we can stay and ruminate in it, but rather to 68 00:04:53,440 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 2: illuminate it. Admittedly, it's easier said than done. Truth, the 69 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 2: dark sometimes feels very dark in times when we struggle 70 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 2: to believe that the light is more powerful than the dark, 71 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 2: or that the light even exists at all. Here is 72 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:18,119 Speaker 2: a helpful prayer to try, Lord, right now, the dark 73 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:22,000 Speaker 2: feels very dark. Please help me to see what's in 74 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 2: front of me through the lens of your imagination. Show 75 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 2: me where newness is possible. Let me see what you're 76 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 2: doing here and sharpen my perception of your kingdom in 77 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 2: our midst Help me to see the light. Help me 78 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 2: to be the light Amen. For further reading, try John 79 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:54,800 Speaker 2: eight twelve, Second Corinthians, Chapter four and the book The 80 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 2: Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brugeman. 81 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:05,400 Speaker 1: The Crosswalk Devotional is a production of Life Audio and 82 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:09,359 Speaker 1: Salem Media. If you liked what you heard today, please 83 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:11,760 Speaker 1: take a second to rate and review this podcast in 84 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:15,240 Speaker 1: your favorite podcast app so that more listeners like you 85 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:20,360 Speaker 1: can find the show. 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