The Lights Are On

The light of Christ, which shines in and through the lives of His people, becomes an expression of hope to a dark world.  Here are the words of Jesus from Matthew 5:
14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

I was thinking about the power of light - God's light, based on His truth and the power of His presence.   When we encounter evil, we can know it can be confronted by the power of the Holy Spirit.   Where darkness reigns - in our hearts and in our communities, we can rely on the light of Christ to dispel it; piece by piece, step by step, repairing the destruction and reversing the patterns that lead to death.   But, we have to be willing to release the power of His light - walking in victory over the power of sin internally and communicating the victory that is possible in Him to the people to whom He has called us to minister.

In John chapter 1, we read a description of our Savior, who has come to shine His light into our world:
3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

The unbelievable hostage standoff in an underground bunker in Midland City is over, and the community is beginning to experience relief - and healing.   It was indeed a traumatic series of events - the thought of a school bus being invaded by someone who was apparently meaning to do significant harm.   A 5-year-old boy being held captive by a person who was so troubled by the demons of fear and paranoia that rational thought had apparently dissipated, by and large.    But, it was also a testimony to the power of faith and of community.

I wanted to take a few moments to reflect on the main characters in this incredible drama:
First of all, there's little Ethan, a brave little boy who was closed in for a week, held underground in a strange place with a total stranger.   While he is smiling and playing now, no doubt there are some images that may play in his mind in the days and years to come.  We trust that the Lord will be a source of comfort and healing for him in the future, as well as for Ethan's mom, who had to endure the uncertainty resulting from the abduction of and separation from her child - it is certainly a nightmare that we as parents would never want to face.  

And, there is the hero - the bus driver, Charles Poland, who had received hostage training just weeks before the situation unfolded outside Midland City.  He stood between the villain and the children, ultimately giving his life so that the lives of these children would be saved.   There is no way to know how many young people would have lost their lives on that bus if Mr. Poland had not stepped up.   He was laid to rest and honored over the weekend by people in the community, and the Alabama Senate commended him for his bravery.

There was another death in this whole scenario, and as Christians who value every life, we still remember Jimmy Lee Dykes - there is no way to know the life circumstances that led to the overwhelming fear that drove his final days.   The shadows of paranoia that led him to believe that people, including the government, were out to get him.   A man so intent on self-preservation that he had built a bunker and surrounded it with explosives.   He is a tragic figure who has much to teach us about fear and its operation - if we give into fear, it will distort our thinking - if we act on these impulses, we can destroy ourselves and people around us.

Finally, there are the people of Midland City and surrounding areas - leaving the lights on every night on their homes, lighting candles at City Hall, meeting together at churches across the region to pray and release the power of the light to dispel unspeakable darkness that had invaded their peaceful community.  

In a piece on worldmag.com, the sheriff of Dale County is quoted:

“This boy is a very special child,” said Dale County Sheriff Wally Olson Monday night. “He's been through and endured a lot, and by the grace of God, he's OK. That was the mission of every man and woman on this compound. Of every law enforcement officer, every first responder, and all of the community who prayed to bring him home safely." 

Shortly before officers rescued the boy, Melissa Knighton, city clerk, said a woman had been praying in the town center. 

“She must have had a direct line to God because shortly after she left, they heard the news,” Knighton said.

Prayers have been answered, healing has begun, and the testimony of Midland City, Newton, Pinckard, Dothan, and surrounding areas has been communicated to the world - when the darkness comes, we can light a candle - God's light is powerful and compelling and will dispel the darkness.