I love talking about the Lighthouses who shine a light in the darkness within our churches but I seldom talk about public figures and media personalities who consistently shine the light of Christ into the world around them. There is little Christian content or witness in the media whether it be newspapers, television or the social media. However, I’ve noticed several recent Lighthouse worthy examples of light in the midst of media darkness.
Jesus said: “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12) We are called to be light while remembering that Jesus is the source: the Lighthouse. Here are a few Lighthouses in the media, I’ve noticed recently.
Sadie Robertson, the Duck Dynasty teen on Dancing with the Stars was seen as slightly odd in the beginning but over the weeks her joyful attitude began to shine a light in dark places. At first, her insistence on keeping the dances less steamy while preserving an element of quality and fun was seen as out of place but her professional partner, Mark Ballas, caught her spirit and got creative. Sadie’s witness grew as her dancing continued to improve all the way to the finals.
Their final dance was a fun and creative tribute to Mario Brothers video games. More importantly there was a clip in the introduction showing both of them praying before their dance. Millions witnessed Sadie’s integrity and faith in an unlikely setting. After the final show, Robertson, expressed her gratitude and thanked God for the journey. “It’s been an amazing experience. I just want to say I’m so thankful to God who has brought me this far in this competition,” she said. “I feel like I really accomplished what I wanted to accomplish on this show… All glory to God for this crazy experience.” — From “The Blaze”
Tim Tebow, the famous get on one knee and give thanks to God after every touchdown football player didn’t make it in the NFL but he seems to be doing well as a sportscaster. However, what caught my attention recently was a picture posted on Facebook showing Tebow leading prayer with fellow anchors of a Sports Broadcast. That picture has gone viral on Facebook and viewed by millions.
Tim lives his faith: “From a very early age, my parents instilled in me the importance of God’s word, the salvation we have in His Son, Jesus and the responsibility we have to give back to others. That’s why I was so excited to create the Tim Tebow Foundation with a mission to bring Faith, Hope and Love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need. This foundation and all of our outreach initiatives were primarily created to show God’s love to children around the world.” – Tim Tebow Foundation
Ken West, recently retired as a psychology professor at Lynchburg College. He also retired from the Lynchburg newspaper after writing nearly 1500 weekly columns over 28 years. He shared his faith many times in his writing. Ken also helped to form Marriage Alliance of Central Virginia now Marriage and Relationship Services Compass famous for promoting healthy marriage throughout the area. One emphasis of the Marriage Alliance was a covenant among pastors requiring extensive pre-marital counseling before agreeing to participate in a wedding. This covenant was a first step toward helping hundreds of our local pastors and thousands of area couples receive healthy marriage training.
Michelle Singletary, Financial Columnist and author of “The 21 Day Financial Fast: Your Path to Financial Peace and Freedom.” From the beginning she gives credit for her ideas to God, to her pastor Rev. John Jenkins and the Bible. Michelle is regularly featured in many newspapers throughout the country as a savvy financial advisor so in this rough and tumble world of business, her witness is a light shining brightly in the darkness. She writes: “I believe that God has the power to deliver financial freedom when you show Him you are a responsible steward over your money.”
In the Spirit of Advent, I give thanks to God for the witness of these four Lighthouses and the way they were used by God for ministry. Thank you for our pastors and churches who are themselves lighthouse for the world around them. They carry out their work day by day, not for the credit they receive but for the knowledge that they are serving God. There is no greater challenge and no greater joy.
Consider taking the Lighthouse 30 day challenge. Choose three to five people in your family, neighborhood or workplace. Then, for 30 days: Prayer: Pray for them regularly by name and ask God to use you as an influence. Care: Look for opportunities to demonstrate God’s love with simple acts of caring. Share: Trust God to provide an opportunity to share your faith in an appropriate way.
As a reminder you can order Lighthouse Challenge: Prayer, Care, Share rubber bands for you or your church? You can order and register online at our website: http://www.PrayWithYou.org or email me at LarryDavies@PrayWithYou.org. In return I ask that you give a donation to our Park View Community Mission which provides two weeks’ worth of groceries to approximately 700 families every month.