Today, we pick up again with our summer sermon series on our favorite hymns and songs, taking a closer look at the theology, stories, and encouragement behind them.
Today’s song is one that doesn’t focus on any one particular Scripture passage, but picks up metaphors and snippets from all over the Bible – Genesis, Exodus, Isaiah, all four gospels, and more. But I could only choose two for our readings today, so listen carefully for references to the light as we hear from the gospel according to John.
Scripture: John 1:1-16
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ ”) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
In the book of Exodus, after the people left Egypt and were headed for the Promised Land, they were led by the presence of God that appeared to them as a pillar of fire at night and a pillar of cloud by day. But when they reached Mt. Sinai, God called Moses up the mountain to speak with him directly. And so Moses went – several times, actually – up and down the mountain to speak with God.
But when he returned from these meetings, his face was glowing. Not just like ‘really happy’ or ‘sweaty after a mountain workout’ kind of glow, but a literal, supernatural shining. This was the glory of God, rubbing off on Moses like glitter. Eventually, he decided to wear a veil that covered his face because it was freaking people out.
Much later, in the synoptic gospels, we see Jesus take three of his disciples – Peter, James, and John – up a different mountain just before he decides to go to Jerusalem for the last time. There, they watch as his whole appearance changes, he starts to shine like the sun, he’s wearing a white robe, and suddenly, somehow, Moses and Elijah are there speaking with him. The disciples panic, of course, because that’s what they do.
But what we learn throughout Scripture is that the glory of God shines – not because it’s reflecting any kind of light, but because it is light. In the Old Testament in particular, the glory of God is not just a concept, but a substance that shines and burns and cleanses like fire.
This is what John is trying to explain: Jesus is the light of the world, shining in the midst of our fear and confusion, illuminating and refining and filling us with good things.
And this is how our song starts: with noticing that light.
Lord, the light of your love is shining—in the midst of the darkness, shining.
Then, a plea: Jesus, light of the world, shine upon us! Set us free by the truth you now bring us. Shine on me.
I won’t read the whole thing, because we’re going to sing it in just a minute, but here’s what I want us to notice: this song assumes that the light of the world – the glory of God – the blazing presence of the Holy Spirit – changes things.
Shine on me, we pray, because when God’s light shines, things happen.
The truth arrives, brightly displayed, and the people are set free.
The glory of God spreads through the land like a sunrise.
Our hearts are set ablaze by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Grace and mercy flow into the world like a flood.
All of our sin and darkness are burned away.
We see the image of God in ourselves and in one another.
We see the ways our lives tell the story of God’s love and salvation.
Any one of those sounds like good news to me.
This song is relatively new, as hymns go – it was first published in 1987. Its writer, Graham Kendrick, is a British songwriter and in one interview, he said “perhaps the most surprising thing about the writing of [this song] is the ordinariness of the circumstances.”
He was simply thinking about the holiness and presence of God, and how God longs for us to live continually in that shining presence. So he wrote the three verses, and sang it at his home church – but it didn’t quite land. A few months later, he came back and looked at it again, and realized it needed a chorus. The words ‘shine, Jesus shine’ popped into his head, and he ran with it.
Rather than tell a story or make a statement, this song is a passionate prayer. At the most fundamental level, it’s a revival song – designed to start nice and calm, then build and get your blood pumping and your body moving and make you want to do something. It’s an anthem that you can belt at the top of your lungs (which I may have done at church camp many, many times as a kid), the kind of song you can imagine running around and waving a giant flag to.
But unlike your favorite Taylor Swift songs, this anthem draws you in to the story of a God who not only shines – but invites us to shine, too. The story of God whose light floods the nation with grace and mercy. The story of God who sets our hearts on fire. The story of God whose glory rubs off on us like glitter. The God who calls us to be little lights.
As Isaiah proclaimed to the people of God in exile: friends, rise and shine, for your light has come! You shall see and be radiant, your hearts shall thrill and rejoice.
So friends, let us join in the song, the call for God’s people to gather and shine like the noonday sun as we delight in the light of Christ.
Let us rise and sing #192 – Shine, Jesus Shine.