The thing about light //

The thing about light is that it alters an atmosphere by its presence, by its very self. The thing about the Holy Spirit is He does too. Death all around and then -- whoosh! -- breath of LIFE. It doesnt need to try really hard to bring change or to effect, its presence essentially demands a response -- accept or reject. And Ive noticed that the theology in the Christian community, in song and conversation and way of life, has seemed to forget this. We "invite" Holy Spirit to come when we gather, we ask Him to be with us, we pray that He go before and ready hearts for the words we will bring. But He is IN us. We ARE the light of the world. Our presence shakes things up wherever we go because we have authority wherever we are -- its been given us in and through Him. You know that the Word is all about revealing who Jesus (+ the Father + the Spirit) is and who we are in Him, yet multiple books barely mention Him. As Bethie once said, "He may not be IN it, but He is ON it." Our Jesus put flesh to the Word of Who He is. In our case we are flesh in His image, walking out the Word in us. Because He is IN us, He is also ON us wherever we find ourselves. We dont have to try and alter an atmosphere, it yields to our authority upon entering. We dont have to invite transforming power to join us, He is the initiator and the invite went out at the cross -- we're the ones who respond. We don't need to "make a place for Him" in building or meeting place. We don't need to beg His presence to show up as we gather or go. We don't make a place holy so we can bring people to it to meet Him. Dont you know that walking in the REST found in identity in Christ, living rejoicing because we know Who He is and what He does and His will in the circumstances of life we face, overflowing with the fulness of life we have from delighting ourselves in Him -- enjoying Him, it demands a response. With or without a conversation, no alter-call required, our presence, our very SELF, stirs the water and one mention of His name answers lookers-on's questions about the hope we clearly possess. You can never be light by trying or talking, but with Him in you you simply ARE light. They meet Him in us. Know it, and let it happen. 

[note: black and white photography is all about light. you dont look so much for color or even composition as much as for light when taking black and white photos. they speak for themselves.]