children of light

I spent the day yesterday glued to all things Royal as I watched Harry and Meghan tie the knot. While this eclectic, British/American wedding unfolded, I couldn’t help but think about nationality and culture.

I have now lived in the UK for over 30 years and in many ways, I feel quite British. I understand their dry sense of humour now and know the affectionate place it comes from. I have been completely infected by the British love of gardens and pubs and roast lunches. I have even come to enjoy rainy day walks as long as I get the obligatory cup of tea afterwards. I have learned to talk less and listen more and to drop everything when the sun is shining and enjoy it.

But whether I like it or not, my nationality always shows itself eventually.

I like tea, but I LIVE for coffee and I drink it out of a Cowgirl mug. My laugh is way too loud and please do not take me to a restaurant that does not have a burger on the menu or we cannot be friends.

I am way too optimistic to be passed off a local. I hate English mustard and fish and chips. And don’t take away my visa, but am pretty indifferent about nature programs. Sorry.

Nachos still are, and always will be my love language.

That is because I am a native-born American and where I spent the first 17 years of my life still affects what I like and what I don’t.

In Ephesians 5.8, before Paul encourages us to live carefully, He explains why.

Because we are children of light, or as the Amplified version says, ‘native-born to the light.’

In the next verse, Paul tells us a life of light consists of every form of kindly-goodness, uprightness of heart, and trueness of life.

As Christians, this is our culture and it should colour who we are.

In this harsh, critical, hateful world we show where we are from when we choose kindness. This kindness will stop others in their gossiping tracks and it can change the atmosphere in our place of work and our homes.

Those of us native-born to light should be immediately uncomfortable with all hypocrisy and any kind of posturing or posing. Instead, we can be known for our sincerity and integrity, both of which are in very short supply in 2018.

We shouldn’t be surprised if we have no taste for things that are tasteless or off-colour because we love what He loves and hate what He hates.

Our natural desire should always be for justice, mercy and humility, (Micah 6.8b). Unforgiveness, vengeance, bitterness and pride should feel very uncomfortable to us. Followers of Jesus love like He loves or they are not followers.

And, our natural habitat should always be with those in need, not the cool group

After 33 years in this country, I have to fight hard to keep my American identity. That is because I want to fit in here. I want to understand others and to be understood. But I have to be careful not to lose who I am. It is the same with Kingdom culture.

We have to find a way to live here, love our neighbours, listen, understand and be involved. But we cannot afford to lose who we are because it is our distinctiveness that makes us useful, not our blending in.

Don’t be afraid to be different, to show where you come from and who you are. Don’t be afraid to be the kind one, the generous one, the forgiving one.

Live the set-apart, laid-down life you are made for.

Stand up and stand out. Stand alone if you have too.

Love the world you live in enough to change it.

‘Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out.’ Romans 12.2 The Message.

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I love Ecclesiastes 3.11. In the middle of Solomon’s downbeat sermon is this verse of scripture.

‘He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.’

We can’t know or understand all of God’s purposes. His ways are high above ours. There are parts of our stories that have left us bemused at best and there are many experiences that will not make sense to us in this life.

But there are some things we do understand because He has put eternity in our hearts. We know there is more than just this life and that heaven is infinitely more real than the desk I am sitting at or the computer keyboard I type on.

We know, but we forget.

We forget that this life, however wonderful it is, cannot satisfy. We forget and then we wonder why we feel restless. We wonder why in the wake of the most perfect occasions or celebrations we can feel flat and empty again and why our happiest experiences are often tinged bittersweet.

C S Lewis says it like this, ‘If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.’

Restlessness is a gift. It reminds us of who we are.

Ephesians 5.8 tells us we are children of light. In the Amplified Bible it says we are to lead the lives of those native-born to light.’

This is our identity. As new creations, we are from light and of light and light is where we belong.

Philippians 2.15 says that when we live like Jesus calls us to, we shine like stars.

Stars are not of this world. We see them, we admire their beauty and they feel close but they are from somewhere else, somewhere very far away.

And so it is for us. We are here, shining as lights, living our lives, following Jesus on earth. But our light is from somewhere heavenly, somewhere eternal. We are not of this world and so it will never quite feel like home.

Never forget who you are. Live this life well but live it as a visitor. You were created for so much more than this so be restless, be discontent with everything this world offers. Only Jesus, His life and His purposes, will satisfy.