Out Our Way: Goliath's Gospel - This little light of mine

Acts 4:21-23

Out our way, we have learned that the "Code of the West" is not really such a myth after all. There really is something about the West and the behavior of people of the soil you don't find as common in other places. We also know that the bumper sticker, "Havre - It's the People" is not just a cute promotional phrase - there really is something about this place.

I was in California recently checking out the "Old Pastor's Home" for Presbyterians located in Pasadena. Nice folks - but as one fellow remarked, "You sort of stand out around here as we don't se many cowboys." Now if I were wearing Charley's hat, my jeans and boots I would agree. But I was in shorts, flipflops and a T-shirt at the time. Nope - apparently you can "take the man out of Montana but you can't take the Montana out of the man." Especially a Hi-Line Montanan. same is true of those who have tried to follow Christ. Though you may never say a word about the faith, somehow people know. The light Christ talks about in His disciples has a way of showing even when we do not overtly speak of it.

For example, I went to Santa Monica Beach with a friend, and we enjoyed the boardwalk and the sand and sun. On my way back to the rental car, we passed a blind man on the boardwalk who immediately called out to us as we passed by him in the midst of the throng.

He was trying to get to his bus and was lost in the crowd. A lot of other people had already gone past him and he hadn't said a word - but I went by and he cried out. He sensed something. It wasn't the "Code of the West" he felt as I walked by, but the Code of Christ.

For as it turned out, the man was a deep believer who had been praying for God to send him help - and apparently God chose me and my friend. We all went to where I had parked the car and tried to take him to the bus stop he was looking for - but as we checked the rental car's GPS - it turned out where he wanted to go was on our way back to Pasadena. So we just drove him a short way to the "Jackie Robinson" stadium where his friends from UCLA were playing - and off he went happy as a clam.

But I was happier - for to be honest, I didn't want to bother with the guy at first - but something else said "you really need to." I am so glad I did, for Eric was an incredible man. Blind all his life, he navigated all over Southern California to support fellow Christians on various baseball, basketball and football teams that he ministered to. Blind and yet undaunted, his faith shone bright in a very secular and often hostile world. And for just a small, brief moment, I got to let my light shine for him as his had and will continue to shine for so many others.

Jesus spoke of his disciples being the light of the world - and reminded them that their light was not to be hidden under a bushel. He also reminded them that light is greater than darkness and, though some may seek to blot it out, they will fail in the end. For 2,000 years people have sought to kill Christ and the Gospel - bury them in the tomb of persecution, popular disdain, and ridicule ... and Easter keeps happening. He won't go away and neither will His people.

You may recall the story I have told numerous times about one of my professors at seminary who had often visited Russia even in the times of the Cold War. Officially the government, the schools and the media all denounced Christianity as superstition and a myth for over 70 years. Yet the church refused to die. Even worse, many of the former enemies of the faith were being converted and returning to the faith despite all the propaganda against it. My professor asked an old Russian priest how the church had survived through all these trials and tribulations.

The kindly old priest said, "When Lenin took power he said the church was only for old babushkas (grandmothers) and when they died the church would die with them. Lenin is dead and we are still here. Stalin said the church is only supported by a few old ignorant babushkas - and when they die, the Church will die as well. Stalin is dead - but the church is still here. One generation after another the propagandists declare there are only old babushkas in the church and when they die so will the faith." And one after another they die ...but the church remains."

"How do you explain that?" my professor asked. And with a wink the old priest smiled and said, "Our babushkas never die."

When I read Christ's call to let the light keep shining and the promise that all the darkness of the universe cannot blot out a single candle of faith, I understand what that old priest was really saying. The Code of Christ, like the Code of the West, can be scoffed at, ridiculed and maligned, but it cannot be eliminated as long as we believe in it.

Over 2,000 years from Nero to Bill Moyer, those who are offended by the light seek to deny it and blot it out. But the light keeps shining and "the darkness has not overcome it."

(John Bruington is pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Havre. His book, "Out Our Way: Theology Under Saddle" is available at Amazon.com. Columns, children messages, cartoons and sermons can be viewed at http://www.havrepres.org.)