Light of the World
This is another story from my life before Christ. I’m hoping that by revealing these embarrassing sins, you can learn from them too.
The Obruni
When I was in Africa, I couldn’t help but stand out. Wherever I went, I was the only white person on the street. I could walk for miles through the town of Tamale and not see another white face. Everyone noticed me. The children, the market mammies, the small boys hustling for change, the laborers. Children would walk up and touch my skin to see if it was real. Many would call out, “Obruni!” an Asante Twi term that is not derogatory, but one that means “someone not from here, usually of light complexion.” In the north, they’d call out “Bature!” the Hausa version. Even in the capital of Accra, where there were more foreigners, my shining white skin broadcast my every move.
The way I behaved added to each African’s idea of what a white person was, what an American was. In fact, one of the Peace Corps’s main goals was to expose the world’s other cultures to Americans, assuming, of course, that the representatives they sent would shed good light on Americans in general. I’ve already written about some of my bad behavior. This is one of them I can’t help but think of with shame.
Occasionally I would visit Accra, Ghana’s capital. While there, I’d run into an old friend or two I went through training with. And of course, we partied.
One night I was with one friend in downtown Accra, sitting on the edge of a fountain in the middle of a busy traffic circle. The fountain was a tribute to Kwame Nkrumah, the first Ghanaian head of state after their independence in 1957. Nkrumah was, and still is, much revered. I was drunk on akpeteshie, a drink distilled from fermented palm wine, and had to urinate. Public urination was common in most of Ghana and tolerated in the rest, so I got up, walked over to the statue, and relieved myself.
A policeman saw me and walked over. He looked angry and disgusted. “Do you know who that is?” he said, pointing at the statue. Even in my drunken state, I could see he was restraining himself. But all he did was shake his head and walk away.
The expression on that man’s face sobered me up right away. I was immediately ashamed. I humiliated myself and dishonored America. As my service continued, I tried to make up for this and other missteps. It brought an awareness to me of just how important my role was.
That policeman taught me something I didn’t fully understand until years later. Now as a Christian, that lesson has stuck with me. Now, I am a light to the world. My mission now, so much more important.
You Are the Light
As Christians we should stand out. People should notice. And, what we say and do reflects on Jesus, whether or not we like it. Jesus said so Himself:
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
— Matthew 5:14–16 (KJV)
Jesus doesn’t say we should try to be the light. He says we are the light. It isn’t whether people are watching. It’s what they see.
We’re supposed to carry ourselves with different character, speak with different intent, and live by a different standard. We are a beacon to those at work, in our neighborhood, or at the store. And, that light needs to reflect Jesus. For good or ill, we are their lesson about what a follower of Christ looks like. When you lose your temper in public, it’s a lesson. When we show patience with the confused customer service rep, that’s a lesson too. Every interaction is a small sermon, preached without words.
Many people won’t go to church because they’ve see Christians behave poorly. We can’t undo what someone else did, but every act of integrity or grace is a small correction to their impression of what Christianity means.
Reflection Questions
When you go to the store, do others look at you and think, “There goes that Christian lady,” or “There goes that Christian man”? Do you stand out?
Think of a time this week when someone may have been watching you without your knowing it. What did they see?
Is there a gap between the way you behave at church and the way you behave everywhere else? What would it take to close that gap?
Think about your workplace or your daily routine. Would a coworker know you are a Christian without you telling them?
Has another Christian’s behavior ever damaged your own faith or made you hesitant to identify with the church? How did you respond to that?
When you’re frustrated, tired, or having a bad day, how does your light change? What could you do differently in those moments?
Is there someone in your life who might form their entire opinion of Christianity based on you? What kind of impression are you leaving?
Prayer
Lord, I know that I am Your light in this world, and that people are watching even when I don’t realize it. Forgive me for the times I’ve shone poorly. Help me to live in a way that contradicts the bad impressions others may have of Your people. Let my everyday behavior, my patience, my words, my small decisions, point others toward You. Not because I’m performing, but because Your light is in me and I’m not hiding it. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
