Light of the World

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’ Then the Pharisees said to him, ‘You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.’ Jesus answered, ‘Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgement is valid; for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf.’ Then they said to him, ‘Where is your Father?’ Jesus answered, ‘You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.’ He spoke these words while he was teaching in the treasury of the temple, but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. John 8:12-20

Today is the anniversary of the consecration of Barbara Clementine Harris. In 1989, I was in my last year of seminary and was asked to be an usher and carry the silver from our seminary to the venue. We carried it on the T in a duffel bag. What a day it was! Despite the fact that we had rehearsed the night before as to what to do if there was an "incident" as there had been many threats on her life, and protests happened outside and during the ceremony, she became the first woman elected and concentrated as a bishop in the world-wide Anglican communion. Being a woman was a real threat but being a black woman was even more of a threat. I spoke with an elderly woman who had traveled with her daughter throughout the night to be there. She told me that her parents had been born into slavery and here she was, witnessing a black woman becoming a bishop. We cried together. Folks who carry the light of the world, like Bishop Harris, change us all for the good. The church came around slowly, but I am a bishop because she was willing to shine her light and let no one put it out. Be light for this world today in her honor, for the sake of the children who come after us.

Wondrous Creator, you sent the light into the world

your child came so that we too might be light now

and carry light into the darkest corners of our world.

We are weighed down with darkness of all kinds

there is too much violence against hard working folks

and no punishment for the cruelest of abusers.

Help us carry your light today as Barbara once did

help us speak truth to unjust systems and powers

and bring light to this world that has lost hope today. Amen.