A PRISM-ER OF THE LIGHT
Ideas for blogs come to me in all sorts of ways. This one came to me for no discernable reason at all, in the middle of the night after being awakened by a leg cramp. I clearly recall, as the cramping subsided, “prism.” And then I went back to sleep.
The crazy thing is that I remembered it the next morning and that the idea has continued to rumble around in my brain. Seems like it is a message I am compelled to write at this time of the year as many of us head off to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. (See Deut. 16:13-15)
Let’s start by answering the question: What does a prism do to light? Visible light, also known as white light, consists of a collection of component colors. These colors are often observed as light passes through a triangular prism. Upon passage through the prism, the white light is separated into its component colors - red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet. The separation of visible light into its different colors is known as dispersion.*
God is light, as we are told in 1 John 1:5 [ESV], where it says, This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
Jesus is the light of the world. John 8:12 [ESV] Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
We are not the light. But we are called to bear witness to the light, just as John the Baptist bore witness to the Light. (See John 1:6-8)
For we believers, God’s light shines into us. He expects us to disperse it out into the world. The way I envision us being prisms is not individually, but as a group. I might be the red of the prismed light. Maybe you are blue, another is green, and so forth. We each, with our own unique gifts and opportunities, show a different component God’s light. Maybe we can disperse more than one color or hue, but none of us can fully represent the perfect light of God and Jesus. It takes each of use to disperse His rainbow of light.
So, while each of us is able to disperse some of God’s loving light out to those around us, together we show that full light in all its multi-faceted colors and hues.
At this time of year, many of us travel to Feast sites, where we will be gathered together in much greater numbers than typically on any given day or even during the weekly Sabbaths. This is a chance for us to disperse the light of God in blinding prism rainbows of love and light that just cannot be ignored. Whole communities should be saying, “Something is really different here this week!”
Even if you are observing these days at home, please consider how you might help your community “see the light” by doing the work of a prism.
Matthew 5:14-16 [ESV] "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
We are called to disperse the light that we walk in – the light of God; the light of Jesus. We are called to do the work of a prism – to be “prism-ers” of God’s light. Go out and shine
I welcome your thoughts, comments and questions. You can write me at Nancy@DynamicChristianMinistries.org.
*https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/refrn/Lesson-4/Dispersion-of-Light-by-Prisms