I’ve preached on “light” at two churches recently. Light makes for an interesting Scripture word study. When you explore verses that talk about the Father God and Jesus being light, other characteristics of God became clear. For example:
- Ps 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?
- Jn 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Psalms 27 speaks of the salvation offered by God – both an eternal inheritance and a stronghold on earth. John 8 promises guidance for a life leading to eternal life with him. Isn’t it good to have a God who lights the way and walks with us?
Three times I’ve been in a helicopter that got lost.
- On a survey in 2011 we had an amazing flight, island-hopping our way out to West New Britain (a province in PNG), then flying upward between volcanoes to the people to be researched. We landed in the wrong village – on a sand spit sticking out into the ocean – before identifying our target LZ as a soccer field in the next village up the coast.
- The next year we were navigating up a river canyon. The jungle canopy below was unbroken as we banked to follow the curves of the river. Then we saw a small clearing. We flew upriver a few more minutes until I confirmed we’d gone too far and needed to try the clearing we’d seen. It turned out to be the right spot. (Canoeing Sideways was from this trip, but I haven’t posted a full trip report yet))
- In 2017 Tikvah and I went on a weekend trip with others researching Scripture engagement. Our destination was 3 hours away by road during dry season – this was rainy season – but under 10 minutes by chopper. As we circled over a lake looking for the village, I used my headset to ask the pilot, “Isn’t the village over the next ridge?” Tikvah remembers that ride and trip with great fondness.
Our heli pilots are amazing and are essential for accomplishing research and Bible translation in many of the remote parts of PNG. I’m sure I was just lucky to have been on three trips where we got “lost.” As Daniel Boone said, “I can’t say I was ever lost, but I was once bewildered for about 3 days.”
People today experience a significant degree of lostness. They’re “walking in darkness.” As I reflected in my sermon on light, one way PNGans experience lostness is in the changes brought to their communities by contact with the outside world. Without speaking about the pros and cons of such contact, many villages had systems which were largely functional before contact (also dysfunctional in significant ways, as one would expect in all human societies…). Contact with other technologies and ways of thinking has created complexity and confusion. Of course many cultures experience disruption, but for communities in PNG, the contact was often abrupt and therefore more disorienting.
You can think of many other kinds of ‘lostness’ experienced by people today, including in the West. How can people get found?
We believe in a simple answer: a supreme Creator who made humanity and the universe – “God’s Playground” a friend calls it. This God desires to be in fellowship with humanity, but humanity chose (and chooses) to go their own way, turning from their Creator and seeking to find meaning elsewhere. Jesus provided a way for humanity to reenter relationship with God by bearing the consequences of sin at the cross, proving his power over death by rising again.
More poetically: “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isa 53:4-6).
In my sermon, I reflected that the worst situation is when you’re so lost you don’t even know you’re lost, don’t know that you need to be found. The most lost may be the most fringe, or the most absorbed in following another god (e.g., money); it can be intimidating or difficult to be around these people. That didn’t deter Jesus, and it shouldn’t deter his children.
Jesus’ work shows us the way to God and allows us to be with him. “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Heb 10:19-25).
This is the ‘simple answer:’ to turn (repent) and reenter relationship with our Creator and Father. Mt 4:16 …“the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Good news that needs spreading! Even with wayward helicopters.
One of our pilots – someone we play ultimate frisbee with when not being transported in his heli – has a YouTube channel if you want more heli action.
