“This little light of mine. I’m gonna let it shine.  Hide it under a bushel.  No!  I’m gonna let it shine.”

Like most songs I sang as a kid I had no idea what this song was about.  First off, what the heck is a bushel?  I actually thought the word was bush which was weird because I kept imagining sticking a candle in a bush and watching the whole thing burst into flames…which of course would have been awesome.

Mostly, I just enjoyed shouting “NO! I’m gonna let it shine!” as loudly as I could.  All little kids love shouting “NO!”

I learned much later that this goofy old song actually has roots in the Bible and coincidentally has nothing to do with setting stuff on fire.  The words actually come from Jesus.   In what scholars call the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said these words to his followers:

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 

YOU ARE THE LIGHT

Jesus often referred to Himself as the light of the world, which makes sense because He is the Messiah. Through Him is forgiveness and life and peace with God.  He is the hope of the world.

But here, Jesus refers to His followers as the light of the world.  Essentially, he’s saying to you and me—you are the light of the world.  Wait what?  How does this work?  Because I don’t know about you but I don’t often feel like a light.

According to Jesus, I do have something to offer.  You do too.  Why?  Because we have a relationship with the Savior.  We know the Messiah.  The truth is that you’ve experienced Jesus in ways no one else has.  Jesus has shown up in your life in ways that He hasn’t shown up in mine.

The way you’ve experienced Jesus is something no one else knows—unless you talk about it.  You see, talking about Jesus and what He has done for you is a way of being a light.

WE NEED EACH OTHER

The truth is, we need each other.  We were not meant to pursue Jesus alone.  Community is crucial.

Recently, I realized that every significant decision in my life—every significant moment of spiritual growth, came out of a conversation.

• I learned that God loves me and wants to rescue me because someone told me
• I stopped manipulating girls in dating relationships because a friend explained to me the damage I was doing and how to stop it.
• I pursued student ministry because someone told me that I could be a good youth pastor.

All the significant growth moments of my life began with a conversation.

I understand what Jesus was talking about with this whole “light and city on a hill” thing because I’ve experienced it—I’ve seen how it works in my life.  The words of God’s people can be a light to the people around them.

HEARING LIGHT

So, who is speaking light into your life?  Are you hearing more light or darkness from your friends?  Are there Jesus followers who you could become closer with?  We all need to hear some light.

The times in my life when I have struggled the most are the times in which I didn’t have friends and mentors speaking light into my life.  The times I was too lazy or stubborn to pursue community were the times I drifted away from God.

Who is speaking light into your life?

SPEAKING LIGHT

My second question is this:  who are you speaking light to?  Going back to Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount.

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.

You have something meaningful and special.  Share it!  Don’t hide it!  The truth is, the world needs you.  You have something that no one can argue with.  It’s your experience with Jesus.  The ways He has brought life, healing and purpose to your life is something we need to hear about.

We weren’t meant to pursue Jesus alone.  It’s impossible.  We need each other.  The Jesus community is not as strong as it should be without you speaking up.  We need to hear your story.  We need to hear your encouragement.  We need you to challenge us.

Shine your light.  The world needs you.  We need you.

image credited to nuwandalice

I also submit to you G.I. Joe.  There is no explanation needed here.  And, of course, He-Man.  “By the Power of Grey Skull!”  I wasn’t allowed to watch that one because of the magic which made it even more compelling.

VOLTRON

All those shows were fantastic but now it’s time to enter the upper tier of 80s TV.  I would argue that the original A-Team was one of the best shows ever or how about the Thundercats—legendary.  But of course, the best animated show of the early 80s was Voltron.   OK, truthfully I’m not sure if it was the best show of the 80s but I want to make a point about community using the concept of the show.  We can finish the argument later about what was the best show.  For now, just stay with me.

Voltron, if you were born in a cave, was the combination of 5 different Lion robots.  When things escalated quickly, the 5 different robots could combine into Voltron which was, of course, the best part of every episode.

There is something that I just love about this concept.  Alone, the different robots were vulnerable and in one case, a pilot of one of the lions was killed, but combined no one could defeat Voltron.  He was a boss.

BACK TO COMMUNITY…

There is something about interdependence that rankles me.  I want to stand on my own two feet.  I want to be my own man and I don’t want to rely on other people.  I think it has a little to do with being a man and a lot to do with being an American.  We value fierce independence.   Needing help is a sign of weakness.

And yet, I know I have been created for community.  Community requires mutual submission.  I am made in the image of God—who exists in community.  Without interdependence I will never be the person God dreams that I could be.

I constantly feel this tension.  When I am struggling, my instincts tell me to keep it inside.  Sharing my weaknesses and needs with others feels like a trip to the dentist.  I’ve come to believe that this isn’t strength.  It’s the pull of sin.  It’s the work of darkness to keep me in a place of vulnerability to evil.  When I am alone, I am susceptible to temptation and incredible selfish.

This is the lesson of Voltron in my life.  A silly illustration I know.  And yet, when I am alone, when I refuse interdependence, I am vulnerable.  I am easily defeated.   When I submit myself to community I become stronger.  I am less vulnerable to selfishness, temptation and poor thinking.

We have been created for community.  Our instincts tell us otherwise but then again, since when has trusting our hearts been a good idea?

BACK TO 80S TV…

Actually, maybe Alf was the best show of the 80s.  Or maybe  it was Knight Rider.

image credited to Shaun Wong

I submit to you that a true friend discreetly points out the cilantro with a sly finger picking motion.  This is a universal nonverbal that is understood across cultures.  Quickly and quietly make eye contact and pick at your own teeth.  Your friend will quickly realize that you are a good Samaritan attempting to rescue them from social awkwardness.   Once the picking begins you may correct your friend with a whispered “no, the left-side,” and you’re on your way.  No harm.  No foul.

But in my situation, I was left out in the cold.  I was probably the subject of concerned conversation in the car on the way home.  “Did you see Aaron’s teeth?  Does he even brush?”

Here’s the thing, I can’t see my teeth!  I’m not a girl.  I don’t carry one of those pocket mirror thingies.  I’m at the mercy of my friends to point out my blind spot.

The same reality exists in the important parts of life too.  There are aspects of life in which we have blind spots.  We’re so enamored with her that we can’t see that she might not be good for us.  We’re so obsessed with getting that thing, achievement or promotion that we can’t see how that thing, achievement or promotion is quickly becoming a god to us.  We’ve become so depressed that we can’t see the good in life through the emotional darkness and gloom.

There are times that I need you to tell me the truth.  I need you to point out the cilantro in my teeth because I can’t see it.  In the same way, I need you to tell me the true about her, that thing, or how I feel.

We need each other.  We need community because we have blind spots.  We each need people who don’t mind having that awkward conversation.  “Sorry if this is weird but you have a ginormous piece of green cilantro in your teeth and I would hate for you to laugh it up all night with that vegetation stuck in your grill.”  Or, “Sorry if this is weird, I know you really like her but I have some concerns about her character and where this is going.”

Do you have people in your life who speak the truth?  Are you open to hearing the truth?  This is community.  We were created for it and when we try to live without it we can’t grow into the people that God desires for us to be.

image credited to looseends

You see, Adam had just finished naming all of the animals.  Based on how many species of animals exist, or did exist, this probably took an incredibly long time.  I love what the writer of Genesis says about this process:

“But for Adam no suitable helper was found.”

Either Adam was trying to hang out with the hippos or he noticed that every other species had a female counterpart while he was alone.  He spent a really long day or perhaps 100 years expecting to find a girl hiding behind the next tree.

Whatever the case, God made a declaration:

“It’s not good for the man to be alone.”

This has nothing to do with sin either because that comes in the next chapter.  It has to do with community.

The author of Genesis tells us that humans are created in God’s image.  This means that we reflect his nature.  God exists in relationship—Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Community is at the heart of God’s nature and therefore at the heart of what it means to be human.

We need each other.  There is something core to the nature of humanity that requires deep relationships.  When we try to go solo, we go against the nature of how things are—against the created order.

You will never be what you ought to be without community.  There is a very real sense in which ignoring this basic human will make you weird.

I love the Lord of the Rings trilogy.   The characters are incredibly fascinating.  There is a very odd character in newest Hobbit movie called Radagast the Brown.  He’s straight weird.  He travels by a rabbit pulled sleigh.  He talks to birds and dresses worse than Lady Gaga.

He’s weird because he’s been living alone in the woods for years.  He’s a hermit.  He’s ignored the pull of community and he’s ended up weird.

Don’t end up weird.  I mean that in the nicest way possible.  But there is a serious point here, you were created for relationships.  You’ll never be the person God intends for you to be if you try to go solo.  You were created in God’s image and God exists in perfect community.

If you want to grow this year, if you want to become the person God created you to be, you need to let people into your life.  You need to be honest.  You need accountability, laughter, sympathy, conflict and everything else that comes with authentic relationships.  Without these things…you’ll be a Radagast.

image from The Hobbit

Here’s the thing about my ideas.  While 90% of them are terrible and following them they could lead to immediate dismissal, the loss of thousands of dollars and probable hospitalization, 10% of them are genius.  10% of my ideas could potentially change the world.  The trouble is that I can’t predict which ideas are in the 90% and which ideas are in the 10%.  You really don’t want to guess wrong because great ideas invent the Internet and bad ideas take you to a Nickleback concert.

My guess is that whether you realize it or not, you also have more bad than good ideas.  The thing is, if we could better discern the quality of our ideas we’d save ourselves and our teams a lot of grief.  Nothing is more demoralizing than when the team is chasing down an idea that everyone knows is a dead end.

The good news is that somewhere along the line I stopped implementing all of my bad ideas.  When?  What was the big moment?  It wasn’t a big moment but it was when my ideas were forced into community.  When my ideas are stuck spinning within my own head almost all of them sound fabulous.  However, when having to verbally explain and defend my ideas, 90% of them are revealed for what they are.  Dumb.  I know you’ve been there, when you realize that the words coming out of your mouth are exceeding illogical and you wish you never started talking in the first place—humbling.

Within the context of community (that is well intentioned debate over the validity of ideas) my 90% was revealed to be what they were and my life and ministry was protected from stupidity.  The unforeseen byproduct of submitting my ideas to community is that my good ideas were refined and became significantly more awesome.  “I like this idea that you call the Internets.  But what if we could connect our gaming systems and play each other?  And what if you took the “s” off it and just called it the Internet?”  GENUIS!  You might say that in the context of community my 10% became 90% better.  If you’re not strong at math I probably lost you right there.  I think I lost myself.

The point is, when you have the humility to submit your ideas to your community before implementing them you will uncover the fact that most of your ideas are terrible but a few of them are genius.  Failure is not the best way to learn.  Realizing that an idea is a failure before failing is a cleaner and less destructive way to learn.  The moral of the story is this:  if you don’t have an ideas community, get one!  Honest community will save you from your terrible ideas and help reveal and refine your great ones.