A Spotlight on Witnessing (Lent 29, 2017)

I hate buying light bulbs these days.  I miss the good old days of energy ignorance and the carefree joy of my incandescent 100 watt bulbs that were easy to identify, always made me happy, and were highly affordable.  Light is good whether a spotlight or a floodlight.

Knowing who belongs in the spotlight and who doesn’t is even better. John the Baptist had that all figured out.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

When it comes to witnessing to the light, what are people seeing in you?  Someone who goes to church on Sunday but clams up about Jesus when given the opportunity to tell people?  Lifestyle evangelism only goes so far in helping people to know about Jesus.  Inviting them to church, the modern pastors’ favorite parishioner copout, puts the spotlight on church and passes the buck to the pastor when Jesus wants each of us to witness to the Light.

Fun Fact of Light: Spotlights and Flood Lights in Stage Lighting.  You have no idea how hard it is to find information on how spotlights and floodlights work.  Everyone has a bulb to sell and if you find the hardware store’s lighting aisle annoying, this search would do you in.  All I wanted to know was whether the reflectors in the spotlight caused the focus or whether it was the lens.  It’s apparently both since most have a lens and reflectors.. 

Lighting instruments “can be broadly separated into two categories: floodlights, which illuminate a wide area, and spotlights (sometimes known as profiles), which produce a narrower, more controllable light beam. The distinction has to do with the characteristics of the light produced by the instrument. Spotlights produce a potentially tightly focused light, while floodlights produce a much more diffuse light… A beam projector is a lensless instrument with very little beam spread. It uses two reflectors. The primary reflector is a parabolic reflector and the secondary reflector is a spherical reflector. The parabolic reflector directs the light into nearly parallel beams, and the spherical reflector is placed in front of the lamp to reflect light from the lamp back to the parabolic reflector, which reduces spill. The result is an intense shaft of light that cannot be easily controlled or modified. The beam projector no longer is used to the extent that it once was, as newer fixtures and PAR lamps have created easier ways to produce the effect.”

For Further Thought:

• When witnessing about the Light of the world (John 8:12) as the light of the world (Matthew 5:14), where does the spotlight belong? 
• How does John the Baptist show us the spotlight and the floodlight of witnessing about Christ? 
• How does this help explain how Jesus is the Light and we are the light?

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the amazing privilege You bestow in allowing us to share Your good news with other people.  Please bring opportunities to speak of Your mercy and grace.  Give us words to speak and the courage to speak them.  Thank You for this marvelous gift of salvation and may we never take it for granted.  May we always keep the spotlight on You as You help us to be a light in a world of darkness.