God often speaks to me through recurring symbols or themes. It could be a certain topic brought up by multiple people at different times, Scripture that keeps coming to mind, an image that won’t leave me alone, or a combination of these. Sometimes I know why and other times it’s a mystery until later on down the road. But always, I try to listen to the leading of the Spirit to discern what God has to say to me.
Lately, the specific motif of “dawn” has grabbed hold of me. There’s something powerful about the image of the darkness of night being suddenly cut through by those first rays of sun. I’ve spent a fair amount of time in the mountains, and the contrast is even more stark there. Somehow, things seem less dire in the light of day. I don’t know why the Holy Spirit has been gripping me with this metaphor, so perhaps there is someone else reading this who needs to hear the message.
Restoration, hope, and light are the things that the Spirit has been throwing at me. So it came as no surprise to me that the topic of today’s sermon was about waking up and walking in the light of our calling. In Romans 13:8-14, Paul encourages the Roman church to love one another in order to fulfill the law. That not only this, but loving others as we’re called will also make the best use of the time God has given us.
The kind of love Paul refers to is not the emotional high of being near a certain someone. It’s also not the kind of love that only activates when the other person can give us something in return. Paul’s kind of love (and ultimately Jesus’ kind of love) is one that goes out of its way for others. A love that doesn’t see differences as a stumbling block, but as a way to enrich the relationship. A love that is willing to sacrifice personal wellbeing for the sake of others, even if they can give nothing in return. This love serves others even when it is dangerous to do so.
When I consider the fact that Paul was writing under the government of Nero, I am deeply convicted about the depth of my own love for others. If Paul could challenge the Christian brethren to love the man and government responsible for setting them on fire, throwing them to lions, and sentencing them to death, how can I shy away from loving my neighbor next door?
We live in a world of darkness. We don’t have to look far to find examples of mankind’s fallen nature. All of us have experienced brokenness, and some may be wondering if there is any hope in the Valley of Shadow. But there is a dawn in this night, and it cuts through the darkness of the soul.
All around us there are lost souls crying out for answers. To offer anything but the truth is to disobey Jesus’ calling on our lives: to love our neighbor as ourselves. If that wasn’t enough, Jesus tells us that “greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Jesus, the perfect example of love, made salvation possible through his sacrifice. This is the truth that we must walk in: that there is hope through faith in Jesus Christ.
The battle we’re fighting isn’t against the powers of this world. It’s against the powers of darkness that infect this world. We must arm ourselves with the armor of light and walk as children of the light. I’ll end with this thought from today’s sermon because it’s something that strikes a chord deep within me. The Church has been oversleeping, and it’s time to wake up and dress for the day. We must live in expectation of Jesus’ return, for he is the hope we anxiously await to bring us out of this night and into future glory.