Move to the Light

There was a great NBA player back in the day that I loved to watch. He was tall—of course—and quite agile, as is usual at the professional level.  But what set him apart was that his hands were so big he could palm a basketball; hold it like I can hold a 16 inch softball…amazing. I loved to watch him dribble through a bevy of opposing players, bobbing and weaving. Then when he got close enough, he’d jump toward the basket, holding the basketball in one hand; waving it to and fro to avoid his opponent’s efforts to block his shot, and then slam the ball through the hoop. It was a delightful thing to see. It was elegant…like watching a ballet dancer…sort of. When he was interviewed and asked to comment on his approach to playing the game he said that when he moved down the court, he “moved to the light.” What I think he was saying was that he reacted to the defensive effort almost subconsciously. As the opposing players moved to prevent his efforts he reacted impulsively; he wasn’t deciding what to do; he moved to the light: the place the opponent wasn’t. It was a wonderful experience in which sport transcended into something greater. In some ways I think we’re called to “move to the light” as well. In the Bible the world is characterized as darkness, and our God not only provides light for us in this dark world, He personifies light; and His Son exemplifies it. The Bible tells us:

The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great light, and those who were sitting in the land and the shadow of death, upon them a light dawned. (Matthew 4:16)

This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)

Jesus declared that He was “the Light of the world” and those who follow Him “will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12) What we’re called to do is “move to the light.”

The world presents a chaos of distraction. It’s deluded by the activities of the darkness. And darkness isn’t just a space without light; darkness is also a dimension…like the “dark web” where all manner of nefarious things can be done without leaving a trail: the place where the perpetrators of evil can only be identified with great effort. Darkness is a reality that can descend upon us, and a place that we can enter into deliberately or unknowingly. We need to understand this and do what I’ve said repeatedly in these posts: We need to watch what we’re doing!

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15)

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

The evidence of this dark reality is being rendered more obvious in our recent state of affairs. The repeated episodes of murder by the hand of deluded individuals displays thinking that is the result of something more than just a troubled psyche. There’s evil at work; a personified evil that promotes chaos, an evil that finds death by delusion a victory! It’s not enough just to see people die; the effort is to exemplify delusion through trickery. That’s a victory for the greatest promoter of delusion, and you know who I’m talking about. Chaos and death through trickery is his stock in trade. At its worst such treachery has been regarded as a “virtue” to be achieved, as in some cannibalistic cultures of the past. In our current state of affairs the inundation of ideas perpetuated through the internet’s social media has, at times, become overwhelming and manipulative resulting in episodes of extreme and deadly behavior. People who are isolated in their immediate surroundings saturate themselves with ideas perpetuated by other lost souls on social media, and together they promote extreme and dangerous behavior that eventually finds a home in the mind of a broken soul who then acts out the suggestions provided by his—or her—“net mates.”

The nature of these crimes and the state of affairs that led to their being carried out presents the evidence that something more than a contest of ideas is being displayed here. The political “right” and “left” have been in conflict for decades as they argued over the nature and role of government in American society. But these days something more is being displayed than just a clash of ideas. And the recent events that have taken place in Utah have made that even more obvious. People who are willing to kill or be killed for what they believe reflect a serious investment in the ideas they hold. But what is taking place now displays something more than just a difference of views. There is a substance to this current contention; a depth of allegiance that points to something more profound overshadowing the culture. For those of us who have a Biblical understanding of reality we know that there are forces at work in our world that are not defined simply by intellect or bodily substance. There is spirit. People are not simply the product of fluids and cells and synapses. We obtain spirit. Whether we count ourselves as Christians or not, we obtain spirit. We function in an “atmosphere” of spirit; spirit within us and around us. But apart from Christ that renders us vulnerable to all manner of influences; then comes the world of now: the world of instantaneous communication, overwhelming camaraderie, and the all-encompassing realm of instant gratification and affirmation. How easy it is to be swayed in an environment that no longer teaches us how to think, only what to think! I am not a great admirer of, or participant in, social media. But I do know that there is a plethora of ideas floating around in cyber space. I am also becoming aware of the use of computer technology to generate content; content that can be used to secure an agenda. Whether there is a desire to sell product or ideas, computer programming is being used to manipulate the discussions that are being engaged by a myriad of users. It’s not the first time that people have been led “en masse” to establish an expression of human existence that violates the character of its creator. Way back when, everybody got together to build a tower that would reach to the heavens, and they did it without the Lord’s consent or participation. The divine reaction was to separate them linguistically, meaning that all the different peoples were given their own language rendering them unable to communicate with each other. (Genesis 11:1-9)  Now enters the age of the computer and the internet, and artificial intelligence, in which the capacity to communicate and engage in coordinated action is enhanced, circumventing the restrictions to collaboration. However, such coordination doesn’t just happen automatically; it requires engaged participation and a means of finding others who think along the same lines. And in keeping with this comes the means for various influences to consciously garner support for particular goals. The basic approach to achieving these goals is for someone to present their views and look for those who agree with those views. Chatting on line through social media and developing a network of likeminded people. However, the presentation of ideas also draws the attention of those who disagree resulting in conflict rather than coordination. And because of the nature of the media, aggressive interaction may not be restrained. Eccentric ideas can be presented without the usual limitations associated with face to face discussion. Virtually anything can be said, insinuated or accused without immediate repercussions. What are we to do?!?

As Christians we can argue for the validity of the Christian message. We can argue for a democracy informed by Christian principles and investments. We can embark on a campaign that attempts to out maneuver those who oppose Christian values. And there may be some benefit in doing that. Our country was founded by people who were informed by Christian values, but those values were often embraced and expressed by people who had an incomplete understanding of the Lord. Actual interaction with God was, at times, limited or nonexistent. They knew about the Lord, embraced ideas informed by the Bible, but they didn’t necessarily know the Lord. And as the saying goes: “To know Him is to love Him.” And loving God doesn’t make for invigorated political disputes. It’s the basis for extending a hand to lost souls who are searching for the meaning of life; searching for an understanding of themselves and their world. But they’re searching for it in a world that’s “ruled” by a deceptive power whose goal is to kill and destroy; to obliterate whatever works to reveal the truth and the light! We have to be careful to make that distinction. People who endorse political freedoms for the purpose of engaging in lifestyles abhorred by the Bible are lost. Reasoned debate can only go so far in revealing the truth of the Gospel. What’s needed is the exercise of a power that can counter the “powers” that work to promote these deceptions. Approaching the conflict of ideas from this perspective can help to put our feet on solid ground from which we can reflect godliness in what we say and how we say it.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the sons of God.

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you, when people insult you, and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on an hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp, and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:7-16)

The question is: What are we focusing on? Are we trying to avoid the darkness by focusing on it, or are we moving to the light?

Thank You Jesus!

Halleluiah!

Go with God!