August 23 - Ephesians 5:8-14

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.  This is why it is said: 
         “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

My sister calls me a cave dweller. I don’t like it. I argue all the time with her, but she’s right. I stay up late into the night and sleep through the morning light. That causes other problems in my life since my cat wakes with the dawn. I can usually get him out onto the front porch so that he leaves me alone, but not until he has chased across my body several times and done everything he can to get my attention.

I tell Carol that I grew up in the seventies and clearly remember our father telling us to turn off lights if we weren't using them.  She reminds me that she is only three years younger than me and is as energy conscious as I will ever be.  I try to explain that I really do like natural light better than fluorescents and she laughs at me.

Alright, fine. She might have a point.

Fortunately, when Paul tells us to live as children of the light, he uses the term figuratively and even cave-dwellers such as myself can participate in the good news of Jesus Christ.

To be a child of the light, Paul tells us to find out what pleases the Lord. That really isn't as difficult as you might think. I return to Matthew 22 when Jesus is asked what he believes is the greatest commandment. In essence, Jesus tells us to love God and love others. If that is what we are doing, in every action we take, we please the Lord. All of the Law, all of the teachings of Christ and those found in the rest of Scripture boil down to those two phrases: Love God, Love Others.

I can do that, even if  I am awake as the stars and moon are shining