The Dawning Light of Christ: Illuminating Faith
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The earliest followers of Jesus were not known by the name “Christian.” In fact, they were not really known by any name at all. At first, they were simply recognized as people who were following the way of Jesus. They were not all that hard to recognize; the way they treated one another, the way they loved their enemies, the way they offered hope and healing and shared their blessings with neighbors made them easy to spot.
Jesus, who once told his followers “I am the light of the world,” now tells them that they are also to be the light of the world. They will spread his light to all nations, and they will flavor God’s entire creation as salt flavors a suppertime dish. They will do this by living out their faith in a distinctive, purposeful way. No labels, no talking points, no partisanship or denominationalism. Just a way of being in the world; a way for the earliest followers of Jesus and a way for all time…even our time.
Today, as we continue the sermon series The Dawning Light of Christ, we hear Jesus’ call to make faith more than a label we use to describe ourselves, or a set of demanding rules by which to live. We are to embody our faith in a distinctive ways, ways that Illuminate and glorify God.