Marching in the Light of God

          I used to have a friend who swore she could see the auras that people gave off - a color that surrounded each person.  She would  interpret what that color meant about the person's personality or attitude such as warm and friendly or cold or dark and evil.  It was very similar to what others called "vibes" except in color.  I was never quite sure about what each color meant; sometimes blue signified "being blue" or sad but sometimes it would get interpreted as being cold or standoffish to others. I have to confess that I thought it more likely that she interpreted others' body language and attitudes than that she actually saw colors around people.
        For hundreds of years artists have been seeing and painting halos around certain people, usually Mary, Joseph and Jesus, angels, the apostles and other saints.   Halos signified their holiness and often set them apart from other people.  For instance, in paintings of the nativity, there will be halos around the heads of the holy family (Mary, Joseph, and Jesus) and angels but not on the shepherds or the Magi.
        In the New Testament church, saint referred to anyone who followed Jesus.  Then it became a designation for the martyrs; people who were persecuted and killed because of their faith.  Later on in the Roman Catholic Church, a whole process was developed for naming and labeling people saints connected with miracles and extraordinary faith.  Luther brought back the term as one that relates to us all; all who follow Jesus are both saint and sinner, holy and still fallen.  
        Those that follow Jesus are those who walk in the light.  (1 John 1:7)  Ben Larson, a senior at Wartburg Theological Seminary was walking in that light in Haiti January 12th when the earthquake hit.  He was there with his wife and cousin working to teach, care for and learn from the people of Haiti and the Haitian Lutheran Church.  His wife and cousin were able to make it out alive but Ben did not.  They went back and heard Ben singing from the rubble.  The last words he sang were "God's peace to us we pray"; then his voice went silent.  
        Ben's witness even in death echoes the stories of the saints and martyrs of the early church but that is not the real lesson for us.  It is wonderful and heartwarming and a witness to the hope of resurrection that Ben's last words were a song of faith but his true witness is the love he showed in caring for others.  He was at seminary learning to be a pastor because he was called to serve God's people.  He was in Haiti because he was trying to walk as Jesus walked, caring for the least of these our sisters and brothers.  He had a joy and talent for music that showed his love of others and his joy in faith.

        The true witness of Ben is the same witness that is asked of each of us; to follow Jesus' command to love one another.  When we show love in how we treat one another, we shine the light of Christ.  This may take the form of small acts of kindness like a smile of welcome or larger acts of love and sacrifice.  Any time you walk with someone in need: listening, caring, or giving, you walk in the light of Christ, following his footsteps.  Read 1 John 2:8-10.