Miss Walter's Words: Testimony of Light

"He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb, and he will turn many of the Children of Israel to the Lord their God." - Luke 1:15-16

I think I’ve found my new mantra.

Just the other night I was praying from my Magnificat and came upon a verse that I believe I have overlooked quite a few times. It is a verse from John chapter 1 verses 6-8 that talks about the coming of John the Baptist. It is written: “[John] was not the light, but came to testify to the light.”

As simple and factual as this may seem, this verse is packed with an important message for the ministry of our lives. We are not the light, but come to testify to the light. John the Baptist was not the messiah, as firmly stated. He was a prophetic man who dedicated his life to preparing the way for Jesus. He devoted his entire existence to the Kingdom, to testifying to the truth. There are two main things that we can draw from this verse, starting with the idea that we, like John, are not the light.

“[John] was not the light…]

It’s not uncommon to notice more selfishness than selflessness in the world around us. Much of the society we live in tends to lean more towards the idea of simply bettering ourselves and remaining inwardly focused. In a way, we treat ourselves as if we are the light. Even if we don’t, there is still the trap of idolization to fall into (which I must admit I have at points) in which we treat our fellow humans as if they are the light. We are not the light, but rather, all glory, goodness, all spark of kindness or genius is ignited in us by the Holy Spirit. We do not singularly carry our power or ability to do things, but rather must turn in thanksgiving to the God Who made us. Acknowledging Him as the light is what we should aspire to do in all situations and storms of life, rather than relying entirely on our own power or that of others. This is the calling of every Christian; to pave the way for Christ to come into our lives by first acknowledging Him as the light.

[…but came to testify to the light]

Since God has created our entire existence, we have no higher responsibility than to spend eternity praising Him for it. We are here to testify to the light, to call Jesus in to tap into the inner well of identity that has been buried within each of us. We are called to be love. We are here to be His, to discover the origin of our identity in Him and to draw other souls to Christ. This is not just an imprinted loyalty, but something much deeper that is woven into the very fibers of our being. We are here on this earth to turn all things over to Christ through praise. We are His people, His souls, and His children; a calling to which there is none higher. In the simplest form we, like John the Baptist, are called to live our lives so that we testify to Christ in everything we do.

Let us meditate on this verse as a basic outline for our mission to live for Christ.

I am not the light, but come to testify to the light.