"Let your light so shine before men..."

Reno, Nevada is not the place one would imagine having a spiritual epiphany. But this morning I did. I woke up before sunrise and stared out the window to welcome the day. The view from my 17th floor room has been spectacular with the city below being surrounded by the Sierra Nevada mountains. The airport is to the right, and the downtown is to the left. My only regret is not having my family here to share it with me.

As I was looking out to the lights of the city in the pre-dawn hour I saw the usual array of twinkling yellow dots. Some were moving - cars on the freeway. Others were not. And as I looked out across the valley, one light stuck out above all the others:

The Golden Arches at McDonalds.

I thought to myself, "Of all the lights that I would notice. Aren't there any others?" I looked from side to side. To be sure, the intense lights of the casinos on S. Virginia Avenue - Peppermill, Atlantis - were there. But off to the east of the main street the only light that stuck out was that big yellow "M" on a pole.

As I write now, the sun has come up but not yet into the valley. I look back out to the Golden Arches and I can still find them quite easily. They must be 2-3 miles away (measuring by the airport runway). And I know that as the sun comes up they will be harder to see, but they will still be visible.

Matthew 5:14-16 reads, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Those Golden Arches are known the world over. They don't pretend to be plain, small, yellow dots to blend in with their surroundings. They don't sit on a short pole like the other streetlights. They stand tall on a pole designed to attract the attention of all passersby, on the streets and on the freeway. They accept the shape their designer made them to be. During the day, people can see them. At night, they stand out even more. And despite the unpopularity of their message, they stand tall and draw people not to themselves, but what they represent.

May we, as followers of Christ, fulfill our calling as the "Light of the world." May we not pretend to be anything other than what God made us to be, attracting a hurting and dying world to the love of our Designer. May we stand tall during the good times of "day" and even taller during the tough times of "night." And despite the unpopularity of our message, may we be faithful to our calling in Christ Jesus.