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Be a Set of String Lights

String lights have become a staple in our culture. From backyard dinner gatherings, to restaurant patios, to indoor coffee shop events, and yes, during the Christmas season, there’s something magical and enchanting about lights strung together.

In some models of string lights, there’s a small technical glitch. If just one light goes out, all the lights go out. It’s as if all the other lights said, “We’re with you. We see you. We’re going where you go.”

The early church was a set of string lights. If we think church is a building where Christians meet, we’ve got it all wrong. When Jesus ascended to heaven, His followers simply loved each other and needed each other so much that they found themselves continuing to gather. Before anyone called themselves “Christians,” they simply called themselves “followers of The Way.” And The Way was Jesus—the One who declared that He is the light of the world, who lights the way, and makes a way for all to have a relationship with Him.

And those followers of The Way—those who knew the light of salvation and the light of life—challenged us to do life together. They knew that meeting together and living in community would provide so much healing. Hebrews 10:25 reminds us that we shouldn’t neglect meeting together. The Bible is clear about doing life together—from confessing our sins to one another to encouraging one another and to rejoicing and mourning with one another. We are called to live together as a community of light.

In a world that says “every person for themselves,” be a set of string lights. Commit to doing life in community—saying that you will be relentlessly attached to each other. Commit to holding onto the Light together and being co-dependent on the success of each other growing in faith.

In as world that says isolate yourself, be a string light. Choose to remember that there is a community of believers who love you and care for you just the way you are. 

Remember, we are called to be light. We are called to burn through the darkness, to reflect our source, to have precision focus in our self-leadership, to help guide others, and to do life together. So, when we say, “be light” let’s do it unashamedly. Let’s commit to becoming light and reflecting our Light in a sometimes very dark world.

Challenge: Think back over the past six days. Which metaphor of light resonates with you most? Pick one source of light to focus on, and commit to becoming more of that over the next week.