HOLD UP THE LIGHT-ISAIAH 49:3-6
I remember some three years ago I visited a nursing home with my mentor, Melvin Black. I was captivated by the singing, moving, and ongoings of the patients there but I took great interest in an African American man pushing himself in a wheelchair. After the worship service I held a conversation with him. The man said that he was the former pastor of a popular Baptist church in Atlanta. He said that he thought Daddy King from Ebenezer Baptist Church and William Holmes Borders from Wheat Street Baptist Church. He said that he was moderator of the Atlanta Baptist Association for 30 years. He said that he had four able-bodied children all living in metropolitan Atlanta. Then his mood changed. In spite of all his accolades and accomplishments, he said nobody ever came to visit him. He complained about being elderly. He complained about being confined to a wheelchair. He complained about having glaucoma. He complained about nobody ever visiting him. Then he asked me questions, “Where is God in my situation?” “God why don’t you answer my cries.” I had no answer for him. Upon my leaving the nursing home he rolled his wheelchair near me, smiled and said, “You were my little god today.” I left the nursing home in tears.
“Where is God in my situation?” “Does God even care about me?” “Give me proof God loves me.” Those are the questions and statements spoken by the Hebrew people in our Old Testament lesson. They cried, “Where is God for we have fallen in trouble?” They cried, “Where is the goodness of God?” In the backdrop of this text the Hebrew people were ruled by an oppressive Assyrian government in the North and an oppressive Babylonian government in the South. These people lost their homes. These people lost their jobs. These people lost control of their capital city, Jerusalem and their nation got divided into two kingdoms. Folks were living far from the coastlands far away from the big cities. God I/we need help!!! Help! Help! Help!
We, people today are just like the Israelite nation, we need help. We need help because we live in a world, that glorifies sex and violence but at the same time preaches do not have premarital and extramarital sex and do not fight. We need help because we live in a world that glorifies the use of drugs and alcohol but at the same time says don’t drive drunk and the Surgeon General says this may be hazardous to your health. We are crying because we live in a world where home and school are supposed to be the best institutions existing but they often exist as the most hellish places in the community. Where is the God-based sense of morality when the “moral” leaders say do not do this and do not do that but they do exactly what is portrayed in “worldly” rap, rock, country, and pop videos? I say to you tis afternoon like it was in BeBe and CeCe Winans and Whitney Houston’s song say to Hold Up the Light…HOLD UP THE LIGHT!!
Some six hundred years before the birth of Jesus the Christ, the prophet Isaiah proclaim a second Servant Song. The song is not a popular song but it is a song needed to be heard. It is a song that lets the Hebrew people know who they are, whose they are, and what their mission/purpose is. The song stood as a beacon of hope and restoration for not only the Israelite nation but also a beacon for the whole world.
We today do not exist as living exceptions to the song. You might not like the song. You might not feel comfortable with the song but all the words of the song are true. YOU ARE SOMEBODY. YOU ARE GOD’S CREATION EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE MADE MISTAKES YOU ARE NOT ALIVING MISTAKE. GOD WANTS TO USE YOUR LIFE AS AN INSTRUMENT OF SERVICE AND HELPWORK SO THAT GOD’S WORK GETS DONE IN THIS WORLD. YOU MUST HELP THE HELPLESS, YOU MUST TOUCH THE UNTOUCHED, YOU MUST TOUCH THE UNTOUCHED, YOU MUST HOME THE HOMELESS, YOU MUST ENRICH THE POOR, AND YOU MUST GIVE LIFE TO THE LIFELESS. Doing the above is what justice and peace—SERVANTHOOD is all about dear family. However troublesome and tough times do exist in life and we go through them to get to the good times.
Isaiah lived through some tough times. He struggled with trying to remain positive when it seemed all hell was breaking loose. He struggled with trying to please the crowd or please God. He struggled with thoughts of failure because he thought that he and his works were not good enough to please God and heal the Hebrew nation. He felt defeat was nearby.
I know what it is to feel doubts in the midst of chaos around you. I lost my good job at the Airport last month because I did not keep focus. I have been temp jobbing, cutting folks’ yards, and job hunting ever since then. My school schedule is troublesome. I am taking fifteen credit hours with crazy class times in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings with a pastoral care placement on Fridays. My car has been in repair since December 7th. My funds have kept me thus far but they are getting low. I have felt like throwing up my hands, kicking and screaming, and saying to Hades with it all. I have felt thoughts concerning whether or not I was carrying out God’s mission for me and if I had failed. I have felt like I was all alone. I have felt like no one cares. I have felt like there was no goal to reach. The negative forces inside me have tired to push me to quit. The positive godly forces inside me because me to press forward for there still remains a God to serve and persons to help through my service-work. I choose to go onward to benefit humankind.
Have you ever felt as it you were exiled? Have you ever felt as if you were alone? Physical hurts can have you feel alone. Emotional hurts can have you feel alone. Economic hurts can have you feel alone. Spiritual hurts can have you feel alone. Have you ever felt that all hope was gone? It is okay if you have felt doubts in your mind for it is your human right to think such. I am sure that we all have left our work is in vain that things are getting worse and not better because we want to experience change through our five senses (sight, taste, touch, sound, and speech). Do not look for the praises of humankind all the time for folks will tear down you and discredit you just as quickly as they picked up you. Friends are sometimes the worst enemies and enemies your best friends. Greater rewards are ahead of us.
Our reward comes from us knowing that God uses our service-work to repair the world and positive action takes place. HOLD UP THE LIGHT by feeding the mouth of one who was once hungry. HOLD UP THE LIGHT by clothing someone who was once naked. HOLD UP THE LIGHT by teaching a skill to someone so that can earn a decent living. HOLD UP THE LIGHT by visiting the schools, the nursing homes, and hospitals. HOLD UP THE LIGHT by teaching those who are captive to addictions how to become free. HOLD UP THE LIGHT by starting racial and ethnic reconcilation ministries. HOLD UP THE LIGHT by teaching the spiritually blind how to take notice of God’s presence in good times and bad times. Remember that this may be your day to become someone’s little god which helps them to praise the ALMIGHTY GOD. HOLD UP THE LIGHT BY SHARING GOD’S GODNESS. When we share we see everybody benefiting from the blessings of God and not just our own individual selves. Then an individual can say that another is saved not only just because the other said that they were but he/she actually saw God work through you by sharing and service-work. I can say that I am saved because when I was hungry somebody served food in God’s name and fed me. I can say that I am saved because I share what I have with those less fortunate than me. God’s positive continual work done through men and women let me truly see God’s saving grace in this world. HOLD UP THE LIGHT which is that path which leads to love. HOLD UP THE LIGHT--which is the way which leads to corrective changes in this world. I know one who changes, has changed, and will change the world.
Jesus the Christ does these things by holding the light. Deaf ears begin, began, and will begin to hear when they notice the service-work of God through Jesus. Blind eyes begin, began, and will begin to see when they notice the service-work of God through Jesus. Lame, broken bodies begin, began, and will begin to heal when they notice the service-work of Jesus. Shattered, broken lives begin, began, and will begin to recover and restore when they notice the service-work of Jesus. I took notice of Jesus because a person HELD UP THE LIGHT by witnessing and helping me at my point of need. Arise shine for your light has come Jesus is here. He is working through positive people and relationships. This little light of mine I’m gonna let it shine.
