The Light of Goodness, Beauty, and Truth

Every time we go into a dark room and turn on the light switch, we see immediately what light does to darkness! Jesus wants us to have that effect on the people around us who are in darkness.

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My mother continues to watch episode after episode of Andy Griffith every evening. Ray and I often sit down for one episode and we continue to memorize them simply by osmosis! Mother recently watched an episode in which two unscrupulous men tried to dupe Opie and his friends. Barney was convinced that the best way to handle the situation was to out-dupe the dupers. Barney asked Andy, “What’s the best way to fight fire?” Andy said you should fight fire with water. Barney argued that that the best way to fight fire was with fire. As usual, Andy was right and Barney was wrong.

I am convinced that one way to spread light in our dark world is by spreading goodness, beauty, and truth. Many people have limited contact with these realities. I feel a responsibility to give them an opportunity to see goodness, beauty, and truth, perhaps for the first time.

Jesus Himself calls us light. Every time we go into a dark room and turn on the light switch, we see immediately what light does to darkness! Jesus wants us to have that effect on the people around us who are in darkness. That is exactly what He did while He was here on earth.

So Jesus said to them,
“For a little while longer the Light is among you.
Walk while you have the Light,
so that darkness will not overtake you;
he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.”
John 12:35

So, rather than “fighting fire with fire,” we can actually overcome evil with good. On Saturday morning, Mother, Ray, and I attended a local celebration. Our local privately-owned nursing home celebrated their 40th anniversary. Darlene, one of our friends at church, got a plaque for being an employee there for 38 years! She works in the laundry. The nursing home owners planned a fun day for the community with free lunches of hamburgers, hot dogs, and barbecue sandwiches. They had a bouncy house, a dunking booth, a hit the balloon with a dart game, and a pick a duck to win a prize game for the children. They also had live music inside for the residents in wheelchairs and live music outside for town folks.

We arrived just when the celebration began so we could hear the Galicinski Family Band play inside. This talented homeschooling family played beautifully. The residents know them well because the family comes once a month to entertain the residents.

It was a joy to see this homeschooling family spreading goodness, beauty, and truth in the local nursing home. Ray and I couldn’t stay as long as we would have liked, but as we were leaving another homeschooling family was about to go onstage outside.

Thank you for every way you light up the darkness by spreading goodness, beauty, and truth.

Do not be overcome by evil,
but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:21

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One comment

  1. I wish my girl could sit and watch a few episodes of Andy with your Mother. She too has them memorized. We participate each Monday evening in a live podcast recording about the Andy show. We are taking a road trip next month to Mayberry ( Mt. Airy, NC).
    I know how much elderly folks love to see my teen girl excited about old stuff that they themselves enjoy. They are simply amazed that a young girl could know so much about something so old.

    One thing that makes my girl love Notgrass History so much is the mention of things such as Andy, Dick Van Dyke, Bing Crosby etc.
    We have tried to raise her on old and wholesome things of this nature, but to see it in her History books makes it even more fun, and to see an old persons eyes light up when they realize a kid knows and loves the same stuff is priceless.

    Thank you for what you all do.

    Johnna

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