A Different World

I want to thank all of the volunteers that worked at Point Hope’s Vacation Bible School this past week.  I want to thank each of the parents and children.  It was a blessing to Mike and me because it was the first full VBS our kids have experienced and they LOVED it!  Evy was hesitant to to go to school in the summer until she and Enoch experienced all the fun of Cave Quest and the characters that taught them about Jesus. We celebrated our Cave Quest VBS singing Light of the World and This Little Light of Mine this past Sunday. In the middle we had our children’s sermon, in the mystery box, the little girl who was visiting her grandmother who had been one of the helpers at VBS, put in a rock crystal and a flashlight.  I talked about how we all look like ordinary rocks until you look on the inside and one of the children piped up and said we “sparkle.” The love of Jesus makes us sparkle and we need to share it with others. The flashlight can be used to see our sparkle when we forget Whose we are and we can let others know that they have sparkle inside them too.  I encouraged them if we all shine our lights together then the whole world will sparkle.

During the choir’s beautiful anthem, I started thinking about the kids and how they’re going to grow up in a different world than any of us.  Are they prepared?  Are they prepared with the full armor of God as they go out every day?  Even in our homes are we protecting them from seeing the horrors of the news and if we let them see bits and pieces are we answering their questions resting in God to give us the answers?  Answers that bring more peace and love into the world.  It’s not only scary “out there,” but it’s scary “in here” as we try to answer questions that have hard answers or don’t have any.  And yet, they give me hope each week.  The child-like faith.  We need to have it.  I believe in the South Carolina motto “Dum Spiro Spero” or in English “While I breathe, I hope.”  I’m hopeful that if we DO shine our lights for ALL the world to see and resist hiding it under a bushel and we DO the hard work of putting into PRACTICE the big and small ways of what makes for peace.  As Jesus thought to himself on the way to the cross in Luke 19:42, “⁴² saying, “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.”  It comes out not only when we talk about politics, but it comes in the entire fullness of life.  In our conversations with THAT co-worker or THAT family member, in our interactions with gas station clerks or the cashiers at the grocery store, in our day-to-day lives 24*7*365.  I know it’s a struggle with all of the chaos swirling around us.  That’s why I’m careful of what influences and shapes my world view.

My mom and I were going to Isle of Palms and there is a big American flag on the top of the bridge.  I commented the flag has been at half mast a lot lately.  Our world is hurting and grieving and mourning; or their apathetic and over it because they can’t handle anymore heartache.  Jesus promises to be there with us in the mountaintops and the valleys and I think he calls us to do the same.  I’ll leave you what I was led to read this morning.

Matthew 5:1-12