Lighthouses

I really love quotes. A lot. I love looking up different quotes about different things and finding ones that explain everything I am feeling or walking through or ones that are just really eloquent and beautiful. Last night I was looking up quotes about light and I came across one that I haven't stopped thinking about. 

"Lighthouses are more helpful than churches." 

-Benjamin Franklin

When I read that, I got really sad. I continued reading different quotes then went to bed. Since I've been up today and went to church and then came back home though, I keep thinking about it. And so, I decided to learn a bit more about lighthouses. 

A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Before lighthouses were created, mariners were instead guided by fires that were built on hilltops. Since raising the fire improved visibility eventually the lighthouse was built. As of today, lighthouses are not really used that much and are more so historic sites rather than actually used for navigation. 

Now, I imagine that in Benjamin Franklin's time lighthouses were very very helpful. They saved many lives. And, I can't be so surprised at Franklin's view of the church either. He was a deist, who believed in God by evidence of reason and nature only, and definitely saw many faults in organized religion and the church as well as rejected any kind of supernatural revelation about God. So, for this statement to be true in Benjamin Franklin's eyes is not what made me sad, because I completely understand why He would write that. What made me sad was that I fear us as the church are making this statement to be true today. Myself included. 

[Matthew 5:13-16 AMP]

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality), how can its saltness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a peck measure, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven. 

God has called us to be light. This is not new information to any of us. We know this. We hear it every Sunday at church. I love the way this passage is phrased in the Message Bible. 

[Matthew 5:13-16 MSG]

“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

We are here to be salt-seasonings. We aren't here to hide who God is and what He has done in our lives. We are called to go public about Christ! I love that it said we need to keep our house open and be generous in our lives by opening up to others about what God has done. That by us doing that we will prompt people to be open with Christ. 

Being on the mission field, I have become very aware of how important it is to not only share with others about who God is and what He did for us as well as what He has done in my life personally, but also to live out hope in everything that I do. The way I worship. The way I speak. The way I love. All of it needs to point to Jesus. He is the safe harbour and I am here to show others Him. 

We are called to be lighthouses. 

We are called to be the church. 

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Update from Romania

The team and I are doing very well. We have been here a month and we are definitely learning a lot about missions. We hosted a mission trip team for two weeks and that was definitely a learning experience as well as a great time of ministry. This next week will be a very busy week of preparation as we will be leaving Friday to go to Moldova for 10 days. Please keep us in your prayers for safety as well as growth and for opportunities.