You Are the Light

For my time, the Bible is a good read, filled with wisdom we easily dispatch, ignore, or imagine is probably not relevant or for someone else, or maybe we will get to later .. but could learn from. Tighten the microscope lens, using the fine adjustment knob, and some verses light you up.

Try, for example, Matthew five, one to sixteen, a compact lesson in what life is really about, how to enjoy it, put it in perspective, and neither discount nor dismiss the most important elements of a day. What does it say?

Okay, stop right there. You likely fall into one of two groups, the first one is readers eager to learn, maybe already familiar with this clutch of wisdom, the other is quick to say, forget it, just another Bible verse, something I probably know from personal experience, do not need, especially today.

But maybe, in group one or group two, you will find the next 60 seconds worth the time, a minimal investment to refresh what you already know or perhaps learn what you did not expect.

What does that little swatch of wisdom, a sliver of divine insight from a distant time, given with love to those who bother to give it a moment, offer to us? What’s the big deal?

Well, they call it the Sermon on the Mount. Why? Because Jesus climbed, sat, and began to teach. Again, stop there, before we get to what he said. Is there not unspoken wisdom in that description itself? How many mountains have you climbed lately, how often have you quietly sat, never mind learned?

And what did he say? He started by consoling those with him, recognizing the “poor in spirit,” a condition of mankind in each age, not least our own. He recognized too the downdraft of human loss, sadness tied to losing – in one way or another – those we love. In this earthly existence, we all do.

He knew humankind grows quiet at times, we all do, must, and cannot avoid it, as we seek refuge, even solace in simple things, humility, knowing our smallness, and the greatness of meekness. He knew that this place, those quiet times, draw us closer to God, and should, because meekness is good.

He knew the quest for goodness, for what is right, striving to resist what is not, working to find the truth, understand it, and hold onto it, is hard, and yet a divine undertaking. He knew there was a return on mercy shown, which grows from, suddenly and reliably comforting, invariably fortifies a pure heart.

He knew, as only God forever and ever knows, that peace is a kind of contentment that you must want, work for, and hold onto with intent. It has nothing to do with position, money, achievement, accolades, or – often – prevailing in conflict, which takes energy, while peace builds energy.

Yes, there are fights worth having, as St. Paul so nobly showed and so succinctly described as “the good fight” against evil, within and without, but peace is also worth preserving, more easily preserved than reclaimed once lost. Christ gave words to that truth held in every heart.

He knew too that those who do good are as often – more often – punished for breaking from the crowd, for holding their compass, for doing what they believe is right, than rewarded. The world does not like to hear – let alone be shown – we are off the path; easier to condemn the faithful.

All that shows up in the first ten verses of The Beatitudes, but the last part is the best, in my view. After saying what those ten lines say, He offers more than comfort, He offers instruction.

The first ten lines are these: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven; Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”

The last section, what makes it all real, is the instruction: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.”

If we take to heart the Bible’s timeless comfort, orient toward the light that shines within us all, and forget all that stuff that bothers us – me, as readily and regularly as you – there is incredible hope. Is that not worth the sixty seconds it took to ponder, the tight focus for a moment? For my time, the Bible is a good read, filled with stuff we forget, and also often need. 

Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, attorney, and naval intelligence officer (USNR). He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (2018), and is National Spokesman for AMAC.