I’m fascinated by those clever world maps that depict statistics by lighting up various parts of the globe. Two really caught my attention; the best parts of the world from which to start a backpacking journey and the ‘Tweeting hotspots’ of the world. I can tell you one thing; the Australians have found a better way to spend their time because the lights are dim down under when it comes to their contribution to the Twitter-verse!
What if we saw a world map like the ones I’ve mentioned and every believer in Jesus lit up across it? I wonder which part of the world would light up the brightest? And I’m not talking about someone that would tick the ‘Christian’ box in a questionnaire, I’m talking about believers that actively seek God out and passionately involve Him in their daily lives; people that bring change to their areas of influence, for Jesus’ sake. Would we be surprised by how many or how few lights there were? Would we be surprised by which areas of the world actually lit up the brightest?
Jesus instructed us to be the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). We are supposed to make this world a better place, not by looking after our own interests only, but also caring for others. Why would Jesus be interested in calling us ‘lights on a hill’ if we are only supposed to light up our own little worlds? If we were to live only for ourselves, then what does it matter if we are hidden under a bushel or not? (Matthew 5:15)
It seems pretty clear to me, at least just wading through some really basic theology, that we’ve been called to be a lot more than a bunch of navel-gazers. And the best indicator of this would be to see a map just like I’ve suggested, and hear that those areas that are the brightest lit are indeed the places on this planet where the poor are being cared for, the destitute and the desperate are finding acceptance, crime levels are at their lowest and churches are spending more time out in the communities than counting heads on a Sunday morning.
Surely this kind of measure of the state of our world is what God uses as He ‘looks down’? I wonder what HE sees and whether or not it makes Him smile?
