You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill can’t be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on top of a lampstand, and it shines on all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven. -Matthew 5:14-16

Isn’t it incredible what a difference a little extra sunlight can make? This time of year, we gain daylight minute by minute each day. The sun rises a little earlier and sets a little later. The light makes a difference in our moods and energy. Suddenly we’re all a little more cheery, a little more hopeful, a little more open to possibilities of new life.

There’s all sorts of science to back this up, too. Lack of sunlight affects our health, body and mind. Psychology has recognized that dreary days can have diagnosable repercussions on mental health. During the cold, dark months, people might add sunlamps to their home: an admission that like houseplants, we all need the right amount of light to thrive. When we have enough light, we are healthier and happier.

Scripture often uses the image of light to show how God’s presence brings wholeness to God’s people. “On those dwelling in a land of thick darkness, light has shined” declares the prophecy that also promises a child named “Prince of Peace.” “Your word is a light to my feet” declares the psalmist whose trust is in the God who has never failed yet. God’s light guides, protects, and gives hope– not just to individuals, but to the whole people of Israel together. 

And in Matthew 5, in the “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus takes this even farther. It’s not just that God has a light to shine in the world. God’s people are the light, too. Jesus is clear: we have a light to shine, for the sake of all the same things God’s light has been doing all along: peace, hope, safety, forgiveness, healing, wholeness, and more.

To be frank, I’m not always sure we do a good job shining that light. When I look at the whole church, all the body of Christ in this world, I see so many ways that our light is either hidden away (we don’t want to make waves or worse yet, brag about ourselves, after all) or overshadowed by the grime of judgment, indifference, selfishness, or fear.

Lack of God’s light affects our wellbeing in all sorts of negative ways, just like lack of sunlight. Without God’s light, we become insular, looking to our own needs ahead of our neighbors. Without God’s light, we cannot see clearly between what is right and what is wrong. Without God’s light, we wither like a plant in the dead of winter.

But even a little extra light can make an incredible difference. One moment of kindness. One act of generosity. One stirring of understanding. As the days grow longer, we are reminded that we have more light that we can shine, too. More love, more peace, more joy, more gentleness. These lights we have within us: given by the Holy Spirit, just waiting to shine out. When we let our light shine, it’s all to God’s glory. It’s all for the sake of the world God loves. The people walking in darkness need to see great light.

So let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.