This morning my quiet time brought me to Revelation chapter 1. To be honest, I was reluctant to read it. Revelation is a heavy book shrouded in mystery that cannot be decoded with any certainty. But I figured I would read it anyway. And guess what. At church this morning, the sermon was from Revelation chapter 1. So maybe I should be listening.
The author of Revelation is John. He was closest to Jesus' heart and ministry while He was here. Even so, when Jesus approached him to communicate the revelation, He was in His glorified form, and John couldn't handle it. Verse 17 says that John "fell at His feet as though dead" from fear.
Let me take this opportunity to point out that we take Him too lightly.
John describes what Jesus looks like, but also notes that He was "among the lampstands." This picture has a lot of Old Testament temple history behind it, but he tells us that the lampstands represent 7 churches. A few sentences later, we're told that the churches are represented by 7 stars as well.
We see light from lamps at night. We see light from stars at night. It is dark at night.
So where then should the church be shining? We get together once or twice a week and brightly illuminate each other in a big room. Is that why we're lit? Or could it be that we're to search out the darkness with intent to pour healing light over it? And do we need to find sinking abysses of darkness to be effective? Or could it be that the person in the cubicle beside you can't see her hand in front of her face? What about the haggard mom holding up the line at Wal-Mart?
That isn't to say that we shouldn't come together with other believers and "trim our wicks" or sharpen one another. God longs for us to have that kind of community and has even built into us a need for it. But the challenge is to step away once we've been filled and pull someone else up from their pit. What the heck, why not just climb into the pit with them to help? After all, even Jesus ate with "sinners." Maybe His followers should give it a shot. Myself included.
