Column by TJ Laggis, Illustration by Kaitlyn Weiner
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
Matthew 5:14
This is the story of us––the people roaming the Earth in 2019. Some parts of our story are rough around the edges, some parts are beautifully smooth; yet each moment is a stroke in the painting of our identities. As with any good story, though, we must start at the beginning to understand the context of what brought us here, to our present-day reality.
It all began the day Adam and Eve tasted the juice of the forbidden fruit, tearing the bond between themselves and God. Now you’re probably wondering, “Okay we’re all familiar that story of Eden but what does that have to do with us?” Well, that day was when the human existence became a shadow of its former self. We were once clothed in light and divine perfection, but, now, wander the Earth in exile from our Creator. Many of us find ourselves in this exile, searching for the paradise where we once belonged. Our world is shrouded in darkness and our culture enveloped by brokenness. People are struggling, hurting, and suffering everywhere we look; everything seems to just keep getting worse rather than better.
We don’t have to search too hard within society to see just how far we’ve fallen. Blind to the truth of who we once were, we are drowning, gripping onto momentary pleasures which only seem to make us sink deeper into the shadowy depths of isolation.
But just as we are about to completely abandon hope; there, in the distance, floating above the chaos and destruction, is a light: a shining city on a hill.
It is as Jesus once said, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5: 14). The light of this shining city, glowing in the darkness, doesn’t stem from flames or electricity, but rather it emanates from those who dwell there.
These people, the citizens of the shining city, don’t have anything special that separates them from us. They’re different because they found something many of us miss, something Jesus has shared with each of our hearts. A light. A spark, with the power to change a life. This gift, personified in Christ, is from the very Creator we long to return home to. He never forgot His creation, not even for a moment.
Our Savior has come to restore the children of the lost back to the children of the light. Our world doesn’t have to stay dark, we have the power to transform our reality and it already dwells within the deepest roots of our being.
This shining city on a hill is sturdy upon its foundation of rock, it remains steadfast in the clashing of a culture divided.
The city is strong and fortified, prepared to defend those who dwell within it from the physical, emotional and spiritual attacks that bombard our lives. We don’t have to remain among the smoking embers of humanity’s former glory, instead we can enter into a city of new creation, of new life. We have a loving savior, Jesus, waiting with the keys to the gates and open arms to welcome us home, all we need to do is simply say yes.
Others of us, may already be walking amid the shimmering streets of the shining city. As we are left in awe of the wonders we have discovered here, we might have forgotten about those who still stumble in the dark. Let us not be quick to amnesia, we were once where they stood not too long ago. This light we’ve been blessed with is not meant for us to hide away and keep to ourselves.
Rather, Jesus says this, “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” (Matthew 5: 15-16).
We are called to spread this light so that everyone around us might also see the glory of God. Just as any mentor, pastor or friend that led us to the shining city, we must now illuminate the path for one another. Gandhi puts it like this, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
If we want to dispel the darkness suffocating the human experience, then we must be the light.
At the beginning of every boundless wildfire, there was a spark that started it all. Who says we can’t be the spark?
Our hope is that the gates of this shining city will reach ever corner of the world, from our own backyards to every tribe, tongue and nation. Our dream is for things on Earth to be as they are in Heaven. Oh, what a beautiful day that will be when that prayer becomes a reality. But Jesus has already given us everything we need to manifest this wish. We were once lost but now have been found. The rags we once wore have been cast aside and we are now adorned in robes of light. Light filled with love, joy and peace. Now let’s use that light of ours to make the world shine just like our city set on a hill.
