Today we are facing a pandemic that has the power to take many lives. For many who have been infected, who have lost loved ones, and who are fearful for their children’s future, this is a challenging season of darkness. But what lingers most during a pandemic like Covid-19 is a pervasive sense of foreboding that life today is so obviously fragile and temporal. We face a threat that is beyond our control, a threat that can be magnified when we have nobody to turn to who can protect us and help us overcome our fears and anxiety.
Darkness symbolises the absence of God. People are groping around in the darkness separated from the God who loves them. This pandemic gives us the opportunity to be a light to those in spiritual darkness.
He Refused to Run
Eric Liddell’s life story is a glowing example of how he obeyed God’s calling to shine his light for Him. He chose to set himself aflame for Jesus Christ by refusing to run an Olympic event that was scheduled on a Sunday because he believed the Sabbath day should be spent with God, not on the race track. He measured his worth not by worldly accolades but by serving and following Christ.
His growing fame opened up opportunities to share the Gospel with people in England who otherwise would never attend church service. But coveting an Olympic gold medal was not the most important prize in Eric’s life. He had a far more important race to run. A race, at the end of which, he hoped he would receive a medal from God. With that in mind, he gave up his fame and set sail for China to be a missionary.
His first assignment was to teach at an Anglo-Chinese school where he taught Sunday school, Chemistry and coached track and rugby. In 1943 Japan invaded China and Eric, together with all the other foreigners, was interned in a prison camp. The deplorable condition of the camp caused disease to spread rapidly. Inmates only received one meal a day: a piece of bread and a bowl of soup. Many of the prisoners were depressed and dispirited, not seeing an end in sight to their internment. In this environment of gloom and doom, Eric Liddell was a light in the midst of their darkness. He became a leader in the camp, helping the elderly, teaching the children, and organising games to lift up the spirits of the inmates. Unfortunately, tragedy struck unexpectedly.
Aggravated by the shortage of food and medical treatment, Eric developed an inoperable brain tumour. There was nothing the doctors could do to save him. He died aged 46 without the loving comfort and presence of his beloved wife and children. Everyone in the whole camp was devastated. He was their great unifying force who helped ease tensions among them through his selflessness and impartiality. Many camp internees shared that he had a strong moral character and never had a bad word about anybody.
A fellow internee later wrote that Eric taught him “to love my enemies, the Japanese, and to pray for them”. Eric Liddell’s life may be a short sprint but he kept focusing on Jesus and leading others to do the same. He had finished the race well and obeyed God’s calling to:
“…let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6 NIV)
She Refused to Bow
Another inspiring disciple who obediently answered Jesus’ call to be a light of the world was Esther Ahn Kim. She stood alone among thousands of kneeling people in bold defiance of the tyrannical demand to bow before an idol of a Japanese sun goddess. She was arrested but miraculously escaped and went into hiding.
While on the run as a fugitive, knowing she was destined for prison, Esther spent time training herself both physically and spiritually. She memorized many hymns and more than 100 chapters of the Bible. She slept without a quilt, ate lots of stale food, and spent countless hours in fasting and prayer to prepare for her eventual imprisonment.
After months on the run, she was captured and condemned to a living death in the filth and degradation of a Japanese prison for six years. While she was in prison, God used her in innumerable ways. Many of her fellow prisoners accepted Jesus Christ because of Esther’s love for them and the witness of her faith.
Esther’s courageous activities in prison brought not only the light of the Gospel to her inmates but also brought to light the savage persecutions of Christians in Korea during World War Two. She fought against severe torture, hunger and cold and achieved victory without bowing her head to the idol worship of Japan.
A Beacon of Light
Love Your Neighbour
Not all of us can be a light of the world like Eric Liddell or Esther Ahn Kim. But we can be a small candlelight in a small corner in our neighbourhood, to our family, friends, and neighbours. The Bible calls us to love our neighbours in the same way we love ourselves. There is no other commandment greater than these (Mark 12:13 ESV). Loving our neighbours begins with our families: our parents, children, spouses, and siblings. As we go about our daily routine, we have to let ourselves be touched by the needs of others, to observe how we can serve and bless them. That’s what being a good neighbour is all about.
The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us how inter-related and inter-dependent we are on each other locally and globally. During this pandemic, in response to God’s love for us, we should reach out to our neighbours and be a blessing to them. We can start by reaching out to the most vulnerable in society. We can offer to pick up and drop off groceries for elderly individuals in our neighbourhood. A phone call can be very encouraging to those who are physically disabled or live alone. We don’t have to be physically present to be emotionally available for each other. Social media and digital access allow us to stay connected. Be a kind listener. Offer to pray for each other. People will gladly accept prayer in times of grief and stress.
Share Your Love for Jesus
Being a light means allowing others to come into contact with that light through service and connection, offering the opportunity to share with them how we have the love of Jesus to help us through the pandemic or any trials and heartaches. Our lights are our purposes that God has established in our lives. When we fulfill this calling in our lives, our lights will shine through, far and wide, for all to see.
It does not have to be a grandiose act. More often than not, it is little acts of faith or a random act of kindness that will show others of God’s love and provision for all of us. Our lives are to be an on-going witness to the reality of Christ’s presence in our lives. When we worship God with pure hearts, when we love others as ourselves and when we do good without growing weary or complaining, we are shining our lights to reflect Jesus Christ Himself, the Light of the world (John 9:5).
God uses His children, like beacons from a lighthouse, to show the way to Him. As believers of Christ, we are called to be the light shining through the darkness to guide people not only to safety but into the arms of Jesus. This pandemic is the perfect time to live out our calling to shine our light for God, to lead the hearts of those outside the Kingdom firmly back to Jesus Christ. Together let us be a beacon of light and shine it for Jesus during this pandemic.
Reference
Eric Liddell: Pure Gold by David McCasland
How Can We “Let Our Light Shine”? by Blair Parke, Editor, Xulon Press
If I Perish by Esther Ahn Kim
NOTE: This article was first published at Asian Beacon. It is republished here through the kind contribution and permission of the writer.
Doreen Lau has an abiding heart for the ministry of evangelism. She possesses a deep belief in the power of stories, particularly the gospel, to bring healing, encouragement, and transformation of lives. Doreen writes and shares from a deep reflection on her own journey of faith, one that has been shaped and directed by the Lord. You can read her testimony on https://christianitymalaysia.com/wp/fulfilling-his-purpose/
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