Listen

Arise! Shine! Your light has come; the Lord’s glory has shone upon you.

Though darkness covers the earth and gloom the nations, the Lord will shine upon you; God’s glory will appear over you.

Nations will come to your light and kings to your dawning radiance.

Isaiah 60:1-3

Think

When I was growing up, my grandpa used to have a sticker on his alarm clock — Rise and Shine! When I was old enough to get my own snazzy clock-radio I put one on there too, reminding me how to greet each day.

Isaiah is offering us quite the wake-up call here. “Arise! Shine!” God’s radiant presence of love greets us anew each morning.

Earlier this week we were reading about the magi following the light to encounter Jesus. I’m curious for the details! How did this interrupt what they were doing? How did this journey and encounter change their daily living when they returned?

And in the reality of our daily lives, what does it mean to arise and shine for God today?

I wonder if it is rooted in a simple willingness to be disrupted from the everyday ways of our living, humbling ourselves to follow God in luminous new boldness … We follow without knowing ahead of time every single exact detail of how we might be changed by receiving God’s radically embracing love, but we allow ourselves indeed to be changed.

Molly Logan

Pray

Gracious and loving God, fill me with that dawning radiance today of curiosity, wonder, and boldness – to humbly follow you into your paths of grace and truth.

Even amidst whatever gloom I might feel, you remain Light of the World.

Help me today to try afresh to rise and follow you.

Amen.

Go

Jesus spoke to the people again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me won’t walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12

Christ, the Light of the World, is walking with you,

amidst the darkness and the light

and all the nuances

of your heart and your living today.