“For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light— for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them…Everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light.”
Ephesians 5:8-14
By Fr. Philip Shano, SJ
Our Lenten journey continues, and we are invited to live increasingly in the light. For those who enter into the season and its renewal, we grow in awareness of the darkness in our own hearts and discover the light of God that is also there.
Take a minute to ponder what goes through your thoughts when you wake up during your night of sleep. Situations in life – past, present and future – can be scary at three in the morning. I might worry and become anxious. But the dawn breaks upon us and we become more hopeful. So many of the thoughts that were dark have now been exposed and revealed to be empty fears.
There is a lot of darkness in our world. Any aware person knows too much about the darkness that fills our screens and newspapers: wars, big and small, all over the planet; fear of war; acts of terrorism and violence; environmental degradation; financial worries; destruction of the beauty of life; fear and anxiety in the hearts of individuals. Many of us would love to escape it all and go off to a quiet place where the problems are not so numerous and all-consuming.
But we also know that there is a lot of goodness and light in the world and in the hearts of individuals. St Paul reminds us that the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. He describes that as pleasing to the Lord. We cannot determine what God finds pleasing, but we can probably safely assume that God is approving when organizations such as Canadian Jesuits International (CJI) bring light to difficult and painful situations. We all know of individuals and organizations that bring light to the world through their actions and acts of kindness.
Paul also writes of exposing the unfruitful works of darkness and stresses that everything exposed by the light becomes visible. There are times when that act of exposing is dramatic. Think of structures and individuals who act as “whistleblowers” and expose the truth. But sometimes the exposing is less dramatic, simply expressed by people who dare to live in hope and goodness, rather than give in to the darkness they see all around them. Their quiet and humble actions speak with more authority than the loud actions of many who make a big deal about their service and philanthropy.
The daily work and service of CJI’s partners is not going to make headlines. It’s probably not even going to get a lot of likes on social media. But those individuals and families and geographic areas who benefit are going to know. That is where light will come into darkness. CJI and those it works with are helping to shed light into dark situations. A refugee family’s situation has been removed from the secrecy of anonymity and by being exposed to the light, it takes on a new power. A young girl has the opportunity of an education and could make a difference in the world.
We cannot deny the very real darkness of our world. It won’t disappear when we wake up. But our individual, simple efforts make a difference. Let’s strive to be pleasing to the Lord by working for justice and integrity, by being the light.
LISTEN
He is Among Us
Why is girls’ education important?
REFLECT
How can I be a light in darkness?
Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
PRAY
Let us remember in prayer the Jesuit Refugee Service in the Middle East and North Africa (JRS-MENA) a CJI partner whose work responds to the needs of refugees, particularly those of children whose education have been interrupted by war and conflict. To protect and increase the well-being of vulnerable children and help them continue their education, CJI supports JRS-MENA initiatives such as one inside Syria, which provides learning opportunities to 2,500 vulnerable children who are out of school. The program also helps to improve the psychosocial well-being of children through access to safe spaces and specialised child protection activities.
