“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” John 15:18-19
I read a devotion by Pastor Ken Klaus with the Lutheran Hour recently that shared a story about a young child who was participating in a Christmas program. The children had practiced their lines, songs and all was going well the shepherds were kneeling at the manger. When that point in the program took place all the lights were to be turned off except for one light bulb that shined down on the manger.
Unfortunately, the boy who was in charge of the lights got nervous and turned off all of the lights in the gymnasium and the parents, family members and cast sat in the darkness and remained silent. That's when one of the shepherds said in a loud whisper that carried through the entire room, "Hey! You switched off Jesus!" In Haiti, trying to turn off Jesus happens quite often as the vodou priest tries again and again to convince his neighbors and followers that the Son of God is dead and His bones are rotting away in a tomb in a faraway country. For the boy in the Christmas program, turning off Jesus was an accident. For the vodou priest, it is done deliberately; daily.
The girl in the attached photo is singing ‘This little Gospel Light of mine’ with other children at Bon Berger Lutheran School in Caredeux. They are bringing light to a world that is daily being thrown into darkness. Their lights are bringing the truth of Jesus Christ to the souls still trapped in the lies of an oppressive vodou priest.
The song ‘This little light of mine’ was written by Harry Dixon Loes around 1920 and several congregations have inserted the word ‘Gospel’ into the lyrics. Following are the first and last verses.
“This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine. Oh, this little light of mine I'm going to let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine ev'ry where I go. I'm going to let it shine. Oh, ev'ry where I go. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Out in the dark, I'm going to let it shine. Oh, out in the dark I'm going to let it shine. Out in the dark I'm going to let it shine.
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.”
Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay