The Beacon that Shines

A Beacon that Shines

John 1:1-18

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with All thing were made by the Word; and without the Word was not anything made that was made.In the Word was life; and the life was the light of humankind. And the light shined in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all humanity through him might believe. John was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lights everyone that comes into the world.He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten Child of the Heavenly Father,) full of grace and truth. John bore witness of him and cried, saying, 'This was he of whom I spoke, he that comes after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten Child, which is in the bosom of the Heavenly Father, who has declared him.'

THE BEACON THAT SHINES

It was once said that where we come from is at least as important as who we are. John starts his gospel by looking back at the creation of the universe. He starts us on a journey through the life of Christ by taking us back to the very beginning of Jesus existence. We are often told that history is important, that we learn from our history, that we gain knowledge of how to do things, based on precedents set in the past.

For some time, I have been interested in my family's history. I always used to say that I was descended from British Tribal warlords. While surfing the internet, I found my family history webpage, and lo and behold, what I had said for many years is actually true! My family's history was traced back to the Norman conquerors of Brittany during the final years of the Roman Empire. After helping conquer Brittany, my family settled in Somerset County England, at a place that was then known as Bychenhulle (Which means Beacon Hill) from which my family name is a derivation.

A beacon is usually a flame that burns at night. This flame gives travelers light so they can navigate on their journey. Lighthouses are beacons that shine helping sailors navigate in the darkness, avoiding hi dden dangers along the seashore. The church is a beacon that shines, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ in word and deed, and being a safe haven for those who are suffering. We, as members of the church are beacons, shining examples of God\rquote s love for the individual, showing others the wonders God works in our lives.

Each one of us is born with a sense that something is missing from our lives. The only thing that can fill this void with satisfaction is God. God sent a beacon to call us, that beacon was first lit on Christmas, and became a full-burning flame on the cross. God has planned a wonderful adventure for each of us, and knowing we would lose our way, God provided us with a beacon that guides us on the path of life. That beacon was lit on the day o f Pentecost when God gave us the Holy Spirit, our Guide and Counselor.

God knows about human nature, and knows that the beacons that God sent will be ignored by many people, so God calls us to be beacons of God's love and mercy to those around us. God's beacon came into the world as a human child, and the world could not recognize him. God's beacon died on Calvary, and rose on the third day, and people said it was a hoax. God sends us out as beacons to our community because we are living proof that the beacon that God sent is for real. God sends us out as beacons because we are living proof of God's infinite love and grace for all God's children.

It's not easy to be a beacon for God. People look at you funny. They say you can't be a beacon. They say God doesn't love you, but they're wrong! You can be God's shining beacon in a world that is wrapped up in itself. You can be God's beacon to somebody who has lost all hope, and all joy. You can be God's beacon to somebody who is in distress, and cannot find peace. You can be God's beacon, but you have to be willing to let God light the torch!

God, I'm not a very remarkable person, how can you use me?

God, I don't have very much experience working with others, how can I help?

God, I don't feel like I can really be an example of your love to other people, how can my light shine?

God, I know you are so great and powerful, but other people keep telling me I'm not good enough. I don't feel like I can do all the things that I see others areound me doing all the time. I see how they minister to others, and I think I can't possibily make an impact the way they do. Sometimes, I think that I'm not experienced enough, or am too young for people to take me seriously...

You know, I used to think like that. I used to say how I couldn't be used, I couldn't be a light shining for God. Then I did something. When I joined the pastoral staff at church, I began to preach. I began to learn how to listen to others, I began to learn how to fully trust in God. I felt like I wasn't worthy to do all this ministry stuff, but you know what? God thought I was worthy, and called me to do it. Not because I thought I could, but because God knew I could.

Sometimes, being a beacon that shines in a community that does not want to see it can be a problem. But God has called us to shine anyway. God has called us to show people His glory through the work He has done in our lives. Will everyone believe us? Will we always feel that what we say or do is the right thing to do? Probably not, but then, that's where we learn to trust God to help us on our journey, and refine the fire that burns within us, so that our light can truly be a blessing to those around us.

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