Be the Moon

\”The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.\” – Isaiah 9:2

A massive and bright orange full moon hung over The District of Columbia as we completed our long drive, arriving in a nearby Maryland town. We are being housed by the staff of the Justice House of Prayer for the next two months as we help staff David\’s Tent. The JHOP, a place we have followed from afar for years, is a ministry with a passion to intercede for justice issues, issues that grieve the Holy Spirit and cloud our intimacy with God as a nation. Their names have become known throughout prayer circles, but they have welcomed us and treated us with unpretentious kindness.

Last night, we had our first meeting with the David\’s Tent team. We communed over meatloaf, sharing our respective stories. Later, we convened in a huddle on the Ellipse and sang songs of worship in the dark. To quote Jason Hershey, the leader of David\’s Tent and local YWAM director, we, \”threw the ceremonial first pitch,\” of the Tent.

I was amazed at the diversity of staff; there are only about thirty of us, yet our ages, stages, races, cultures, and origins are all varied. I chased the kids near the circle of worshipers and watched again as the moon lit their faces. A sweet, genuine love for Jesus shone brightly on each, despite our different backgrounds.

Among God\’s perfect metaphors, the relationship between the sun and the moon always strikes me most profound. That moon which lit the city, every building, every face, has no intrinsic light of its own. Not one bit. It is nothing more than lifeless gray rock, cragged from encounters with meteors. In truth, it is worn and ugly and dull by all our definitions.

And yet…

When the gracious sun shines its light on the moon, that dull mass of rock is lovely. It receives adoration in verse and film. It shines beyond any man-made lights in the dark world.

I want to be like the moon.

In truth, without Christ, the Son of God, I am worn and ugly and dull. I have no life. I have no light. But when I stand before Him, I get to reflect Him. And my hope is that everyday, and especially in these fifty days, as we stand before Him and worship Him, that His light will shine enough to draw others like moths to a flame. I hope to use that reflection to point to Jesus, and to hope.