By Mollie Bradford
We do a lot of personal introspection here at Capital Fellows…a lot. We’re encouraged to continually ask “why” questions to get to the roots of our sins, as we learned in our monthly Life and Leadership class with our pastors, James Forsyth and David Stephenson. We’re challenged by guest speakers, urged to reflect by John Kyle and Lauren Stephens (the Director and Assistant Director of Capital Fellows, and given space to process in our peer counseling groups explain. It’s been a beautiful of growth, vulnerability, and deep relationships.
To be honest with you, I’m not very good at digging and vulnerability and the whole deal. I’d much rather push it off and go merrily about life. In the midst of all the beauty that has come from it, I’ve felt myself grow cynical. Sometimes, it seems hopeless, naming all these sins I have and then trying to heal and learn. My mind jumps to asking, “how am I supposed to be more like Jesus in this broken world? Why not just wait until Heaven?”
At Club 45, the semi-monthly community of 4th and 5th graders at McLean Presbyterian Church, we’ve been studying the names of God. Over the past few days, I’ve been preparing to give the Club 45 talk on God’s Name “Jehovah-Or,” meaning “God is Light.” The text we’re looking at is 2 Samuel 11-12, when David commits adultery with Bathsheba and kills Uriah, her husband, to cover it up. It’s truly a horrifying and shocking story. The man after God’s own heart committing such acts?? How could this story have any sort of light?? But God doesn’t leave this story to a dark and depressing end, nor does He leave David in his darkness. God shines Light into David’s darkness, bringing David back to Him and ultimately redeeming the situation. Generations later, Jesus is born in David and Bathsheba’s genealogy! Now, how’s that for a happy ending?
But not only is He Jehovah-Or, but he’s also Immanuel, God with us! He doesn’t just shine a light on our sin and leave us there, but enters in with us. THAT’S why we can play the “why” game and discover sins about ourselves and be vulnerable with people. THAT’S why we confess to God and try to be more like Jesus. Because it’s not about us, but about HIM! He doesn’t leave us our darkness, but enters in with Light and relationship. I don’t have to be discouraged and ashamed, because He is the One to shine light in our darkness. He is the One to never leave us or forsake us. Thank you, Jesus! And thank you, Capital Fellows and Club 45, for being vessels through with the Light can work.
Pictures from the Week
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