Ep.05/ On The Spectrum
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Imagine for a second the pendulum swing of life. You and I are the pendulums; the objects hung from a fixed point that swings back and forth. Very few of us have a say in how we begin on the pendulum, but if we do life in Christ, we get to participate actively in how it ends.
Some of us will paint the world with vivid colors, bright and bold, for all to see. Some prefer safer pallets, like neutral browns, creams, and grey, while others are black and white. Then there's my favorite, and the color you get depends on the day. Either way, the painted picture is still worth a thousand words.
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
Philippians 4:13 KJV
When you are chosen, it doesn't matter where you fall on the spectrum. Our God will use your vivid colors, basic neutrals, and everything in between to paint the world red. Because red is the only color that matters, the blood keeps us and covers us. It's the blood of Jesus that saves.
Ep.07/
On The Spectrum
A Spectrum is a band of colors produced by the separation of the components of the light. It is similar to what you might expect to see on a rainbow. When I started researching this topic, I got stuck on the separation of components. 1 Corinthians 12:12 reads, "There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ."
Think about that for a moment; it is one body with many parts, operating as individual components of the light. And we, my fellow believers, are the band of colors produced by the separation of the light that is Jesus Christ.
"As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
John 9:5
You and I have already been chosen to be a part of His body— in the world— but not of the world— to share the light with the world.
Our commission for the faith is classified by how we color the world.
Imagine that pendulum swinging again. On the left is the I Can — which represents the state of the flesh. And on the right is Him who gives me strength — Jesus seated at God's right hand. As that pendulum swings, our colors fill the space between either side.
See, it doesn't matter if we are as neutral and beige as Moses, who when called by God responded, "Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt." Moses was so safe and indifferent that his first response to the call was to tend to another man's flock rather than to the flock of God.
Perhaps you are bright, vivid, and bold like David. The slayer of giants, husband of 8 wives; one gained by killing another man. Then there are those of us who are as black and white as Jonah. Who ran when called to speak against wickedness in Ninevah, because it was wrong in his eyes for God to show compassion but right for him to be angry.
Moses was born into bondage but became the great liberator of God's people. David was a giant slayer who became King, and Jonah started with a call from God but ended up without cover.
In color theory, black is the presence of all colors. At the same time, white is the absence of colors; without color, there'd be no light. Without sin, we wouldn't need the light-- the One who saved. The people we choose to be and the things we choose to pursue in between the points on the pendulum are up to you and me. The difference between who we are in personality and who God called us to be in the kingdom represents our choices- the colors we paint. The light we reflect on this walk of faith points back to Christ. It's all on the spectrum.
If we look at ourselves as the pendulum that swings —our responsibility is to paint the world as vividly as we can. Even in our mistakes, we can point to Christ. In my pain, we can point to Christ. Even in our most profound grief, we can point to the light of Christ because we can do all things in Him who gives us strength. After all, what more are we doing than swinging back and forth between the flesh of what we can do in the world and the spirit of what we can do in Him who is greater than the world?
Here's the good news. When we choose to be our true color for Jesus, and you and I together act as one body of Christ, no matter what color we are on the spectrum at the end of this race, we'll see the glory of God because we've kept the faith and done all that we can to paint this world red. For it is written, every knee shall bow, every tongue will confess, that Jesus Christ is lord.