A Small Light
“But even an ordinary secretary or a housewife or a teenager can, within their own small ways, turn on a small light in a dark room.”
Miep Gies
The above quote comes from the woman who, along with several of her coworkers, hid the Frank family and others (you will no doubt be familiar with the diary of the young Frank girl, Anne) from the Nazi enemy for over two years. (National Geographic Channel has an excellent 8-part series that tells the story.)
Miep Gies was not a woman of great faith or means. Still, she had developed a close relationship with the Frank family and did not hesitate to do whatever was necessary to protect and provide for all of them when they needed to hide. She risked her well-being and safety, sometimes sacrificing her own food when things were already scarce to protect the families in hiding from being sent to concentration camps.
From this distance of time and culture, it isn't easy to ascertain her motivation for these heroic actions. Yet, one thing is certain. Part of her desire to help the Franks was that she knew them. As the Nazis invaded and others turned a blind eye to the removal of the Jews, Miep could not stand by and allow this to happen to those with whom she felt connected.
The same is likely true for each of us. Author and speaker Shane Claiborne, in trying to explain why it seems that we are frequently reticent to share as generously as God desires, has said that "It is not as if Christians don't care about the poor, it is that they do not know the poor." When the problem is "out there'" with people we do not know, we retain a safe distance. But when we have a connection with those in need, we find greater motivation to respond, even self-sacrificially.
As we launch into the Fall season, with renewed energy for worship experiences and programs to encourage our spiritual development, let us also be intentional about getting to know our neighbors. Who are those in our immediate surroundings that we really do not know? What are their lives like? What challenges are they facing? What threats do they sense could disrupt their well-being? If we maintain a comfortable distance between us, we may never know.
Scripture encourages God's people to know and care for all, even those with whom we share little in common.
"The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself."
Leviticus 19:34
May our church community be known all around as the place where those in need are not only helped but also known. Take advantage of the opportunities to get to know our neighbors; together, we can "be a small light in a dark room."
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As RPC’s Associate Pastor for Mission Outreach, Rev. Dr. Dan Kreiss, has a heart for service and a diverse array of experiences in the mission field. Be sure to subscribe to the Mission Outreach Blog to read and follow along as he documents his personal journey and shares his vision for RPC’s mission outreach commitment. Along with providing meaningful resources, this blog will help jumpstart the important conversations our church community must be having about missional living.
Rev. Dr. Dan Kreiss
Rev. Dr. Dan Kreiss is the Associate Pastor for Mission Outreach at RPC. Dan is particularly passionate about encouraging the church to reflect the diversity found in its surrounding community in regard to age, gender, ethnicity, education and economic status.