Let God Shine Through / Beatitudes

For those not familiar with an Anglican Service there are four Scripture readings prior to the Message. The assigned readings for today are: Micah 6:1-8; Psalm 15; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 and Matthew 5:1-12.

At the last session ... on the last morning of a two-week seminar on Greek culture, ... Dr. Pap-a-der-os turned ... and made the ritual gesture: ...... "Are there any questions?"

He was greeted with silence.

These two weeks ... had generated enough questions for a lifetime, ... but for now, ... there was only silence.

"No questions?" ... Papaderos swept the room ... with his eyes.

Alas from the back row, ... "Dr. Papaderos, ...... What is the meaning of life?"

The usual laughter followed, ... and people stirred to go.

Papaderos held up his hand ... and stilled the room ... and looked at the gentleman ... who asked the question.

There was silence for a long period of time, ... asking with his eyes ... if indeed the question was serious or in jest.

"I will answer your question."

Taking his wallet out of his hip pocket, ... he fished into the leather billfold ... and brought out a very small round mirror, ... (Fingers) about the size of a quarter.

And what he said went something like this:

"When I was a small child, ... during the war, ... we were very poor and we lived in a remote village.

One day, ... on the road, ... I found broken pieces of a mirror.

A German motorcycle ... had been wrecked ... in that place.

"I tried to find all the pieces and put them together, ... but it was not possible, ... so I kept only the largest piece; ... This one.

And by scratching it On a stone, ... I made it round.

I began to play with it as a toy... and became fascinated by the fact ... that I could reflect light into dark places ... where the sun would never shine ... in deep holes ... crevices ... and dark closets.

It became a game for me ... to get light into the most inaccessible places that I could find.

"I kept the little mirror, ... and as I went through life, ... I would take it out in idle moments ... and continue the challenge ... of the game.

As I became a man, ... I grew to understand ... that this was not just a child's game ... but a metaphor ... for what I might do ... with my life.

I came to understand ... that I am not the light ... or the source ... of the light.

"I am a fragment of a mirror ... whose whole design ... and shape ... I do not know.

Nevertheless, ... with what I have ... I can reflect light ... into the dark places of this world ... into black places ... in the hearts of men ... and change some things ... in some people.

Perhaps others may see and do likewise.

This is what I am about.

This is the meaning of life."

And then he took his small mirror and, ... holding it carefully, ... caught the bright rays of daylight streaming through the window ... and slowly reflected them onto... all that were in the room.

O' Beloved ... Are you allowing the light of Christ ... to reflect off the mirror ... of your heart?

Are you allowing God ... to shine through?

That is what the beatitudes are about ... God shining through.

It has always been God's purpose ... when He entered our lives, ... that He would be allowed ... to so fill our lives ... that He would "Shine Through".

That He would be visible ... in our attitudes ... our actions ... our whole life.

That Christ Himself ... would be allowed to live through us.

The beatitudes are like a mirror ... that reflects the light ... of God.

The beatitudes are like a light ... that only shines when connected ... to the power of God!

The beatitudes are to 'be' ... your 'attitude'.

The Holy Spirit has come to live IN us ... that He might live and shine through us.

And when He does, ... others see the image of Christ ... shining through this (Touch your heart) Veil of flesh.

Jesus came to live within me ... to redeem the carnal works of this body.

He came to master the circumstances of my life.

He came to manifest His character in my life, ... and minister to others ... whom my life touches ...every day.

Yet, ... does anyone ever see God shining ... through me?

Well, ... if they did, ... I know what that person would look like, ... for the beatitudes ... are a self-portrait of Christ.