I had the immense privilege of attending the Passion Conference in the Georgia Dome a few days ago. I could create multitudes of posts about everything that I learned, heard, witnessed, and experienced. However, I am going to create one post expounding upon a revelation I received while participating in a very notable experience.
First I must describe the experience. For those of you who don't know, Passion revolves mostly around the theme of slavery, or human trafficking. This experience was a way for American college students to show the world that they want to be involved in the abolition of slavery. Each of the 65,000 students at the conference received an ordinary white candle, no longer than 6 inches long and maybe 1/2 inch in width. We all proceeded in silence out to the Dome Plaza, and stood in silence until someone began to hum a hymn or two. We waited in the darkness and cold, until suddenly there was some commotion coming from the center of the mass of people. A light had emerged, the first candle had been lit. The flame was then passed from candle to candle, person to person, until it reached the last candle on the outer edge.
An enormous light also was turned on that stretched three miles into the night sky.
All of us then let out a yell, a scream, a cheer, a chant - whatever noise we could make. We were shouting for the end of slavery, to make the voices of the oppressed heard. We continued to shout for several more minutes. Helicopters with cameras whizzed by us, wanting to capture this moment forever.
I will remember this moment forever. It is the clearest picture of God's church that I have ever been given.
One light must start in all. Then it is our responsibility to pass it on to others. We do not have the ability to give it to those who are several hundred feet from us, but rather to those who surround us. We were placed in a certain spot in order to give the light to those who were near us.
The purpose of the flame was not just to give light. It gives warmth. It awakened our bodies for a time from the cold. The power of the fire invigorated us and gave us life. It gave us energy to proclaim our message to the world.
And also, my favorite part: we received a flame in order that we might revive those around us whose flame has gone out. There was one guy next to me whose flame kept going out because of the cold wind, and had to keep asking me to relight his candle. I did not get irritated by how many times I had to do it, but rather rejoiced that I was able to relight his since mine had not gone out. I might even go so far as to say that my flame grew stronger from lighting the candles of others.
While I was trying to protect my flame from the wind, I realized how hard it was going to be to get through the night without the help of those around me. I had to have my flame revived at least once.
Processing all of this in my mind, I had tears in my eyes. Seeing a visual representation of the importance of community made so much sense. And the astonishing fact is this: no one cared or knew that my candle went out except for the few around me. No one cared or knew that I lit that guy's candle over ten times. No one cared that I was the 34, 789th candle to be lit.
But what people did care about is this: that there were 65,000 candles lit that night, protesting slavery and proclaiming the name of the God who has the power to defeat it.
Matthew 5:14 is so much more real to me now: "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden." No one could ignore our presence at the Dome that night.
Isaiah 49:6 also sheds light (heh heh) on this subject: "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth."
The church is the light among the darkness of the world. Jesus Christ is the originator of that light. We are to spread that light to the ends of the earth, and to revive those whose light has gone out. May the church be a church on fire because of you, Lord Jesus!
