This weekend, as I gathered with students and student workers in St Andrews to pray I saw quite clearly a picture of light.
In the darkness there were hundreds of lights that huddled together and then hundreds of lights that stood alone...
Those who huddled together were noticeable for their number, but only on the very outskirts of the group’s circumference was the darkness touched. Those lights out there in the darkness on their own were all touching the darkness. Wherever they were, darkness became light. The huddle looked good but made little effect, the lone lights shone and between them transformed far more darkness.
As Christians it is so easy to ghettoise ourselves, live in big clumps so that people see us but don't know us. What if we spread out. Jesus asked who on earth would be stupid enough to light a lamp and then hide it. Why would you light a lamp and then put it where it could have no effect on the darkness?
What if we stepped into the darkness? What if we de-ghettoised. What would happen if we lived amongst those we don't know, what if we knew them...what if they KNEW us. If we ran with the sportsmen, experimented with the chemists, conversed with the debaters, danced amongst the dawn walkers, how much darkness would be consumed, how many lives would be freed, would rejoice in finding the light if the light was amongst the darkness, shining.
