Throwin' Sparklers

When I was five years old, my family went to the lake just outside of my home town to celebrate the 4^th of July.  We picked a spot near the swimmers beach and enjoyed the summer afternoon, all the wile anticipating nightfall and the fireworks that would be set off across the lake.  When the time came for the show we would watch each skyrocket climb high into the night sky and explode, coloring the heavens with a brilliant light which reflected off of the calm surface of the lake.  People oohed and awed.  It was the first fireworks show I remember seeing, and it was beautiful.

Being five, I was just old enough to have my own sparkler. I was not so old, however, that I could not believe if I threw it high enough into the air it would fill the night sky with a brilliant light, just like the fireworks we were watching.  I can still remember the disappointment when, on my first attempt, the sparkler failed to climb high into the sky and fell into the lake where it fizzled out.  I was not to be deterred.  Almost immediately after my mother put another freshly lit stick into my hands, I heaved it has hard as I could, only to see it once again fall into the lake without illuminating the sky.  

Only after the third sparkler hit the water did mother finally ask me what I was doing.   It was then that she explained the difference between a sparkler and a skyrocket.  At the ripe old age of five, I discovered the disheartening truth that they are not made of the same stuff.

Today, I was thinking about the fact that Jesus is the light of the world.  His presence colors the heavens with a brilliant light.  It is beautiful.

When I think about the stuff Jesus' light is made up of, things come to mind like: His willingness to yield His will and only do what he could see the Father doing; His capacity to look past the socially acceptable standards of his day and see the image of God in people;  His power to love the sick and broken, bring life and healing instead of condemnation and judgment;  His unwillingness to conform to the pattern of this world, instead introducing us to the one for which we were made; and His knack of pushing past the white washed exterior to the reality of the heart in order to extend the invitation of love, acceptance and forgiveness.  In the darkness of the world, these characteristics of Jesus, and many more, exploded on the scene in brilliant, life-giving color.  It is no wonder people were drawn to him.

When Jesus spoke to the people who would follow Him and who would eventually make up His church, He said to them, “You are the light of the world.”  They were to live lives that imaged His life, lives which climbed into the middle of the darkness and exploded on the scene with the same brilliant light that He displayed.

I have heard four stories in the last few day that make me ask the question, is the church is living up to what Jesus envisiones for us, or have we found ourselves simply throwing sparklers? 

When we find ourselves investing more time and energy to developing business models for our ministries than in developing the ability to listen and discern the Father’s will, it seems to me we are just throwing sparklers.

When we find ourselves more concerned with the appearance of a leader than his heart, we are just throwing sparklers.

When someone is caught in sin and we spend more time gossiping and judging than seeking to restore our brother, we are just throwing sparklers.

When we spend more time trying to mimic the world than we do manifesting the kingdom of God, we are throwing sparklers.

When we act like a dysfunctional family, sweeping the family secrets under the rug rather than walking the healing process of repentance and forgiveness, we are just throwing sparklers.

It is no wonder that world is not impressed with our message.  It is no wonder that they are not oohing and awing at the display of our Savior’s reflection in us.  The church, which is meant to be a breathtaking display of God’s grace and glory, is often nothing more than a short lived shower of sparks that fizzles out when it hit the water.

I never made it to a fourth sparkler on that warm 4^th of July evening in the summer of 1970.  Even when I was five years old, I was not satisfied with throwing sparklers.  I wanted to participate in something far more brilliant. 

Given this fact, having seen the brilliant image of the light of Christ, what in the world would cause me to ever settle for throwing sparklers now?  I am not so old that I cannot believe it is possible for a community of believers to come together, and be empowered by the Spirit to use their gifts to mature and build one another up until we are all made of the same stuff as Jesus.  It is still possible for me to imagine this community, becoming transformed into Christ’s image,  would be completely capable of being the light He envisions us becoming.

This is what I long for and it is why I am done throwing sparklers.