Carrying, Shining, and Walking in His Light

The Ripple of One Simple Message

In 1858, a quiet Sunday school teacher in Boston named Edward Kimball felt a deep burden for one of his teenage students who worked in a shoe store. Kimball wasn’t a preacher or a missionary, just an ordinary man with a heart for his students. Nervous but determined, he entered the shop, found the young man stocking shelves, and gently shared the Gospel with him.

That day, in the back room of that shop, Dwight L. Moody surrendered his life to Christ. Moody went on to become one of the greatest evangelists of the 19th century, touching millions. His ministry later influenced Billy Sunday, whose preaching inspired Billy Graham, who would eventually proclaim the Gospel to more people than anyone in history.

It all began with one hesitant man sharing a simple message of love and salvation. Heaven alone will reveal the full ripple effect of that single act of faithfulness.

The story reminds us that the Gospel spreads not primarily through grand gestures or global stages, but through ordinary believers who say yes to God. As we step into a new year, we hold a fresh page, ready to be filled with new stories of God’s grace and faithfulness. Our theme, “Go Out With the Good News,” calls us to remember that the mission of Christ begins wherever we are; it begins with our willingness.

In the spirit of the Mar Thoma Church motto, “Lighted to Lighten,” we are reminded that we have received the light of Christ not to hide it, but to carry it, shine it, and walk in it, so that others may see the One who saves.

1. Carry the Light — Take the Good News Wherever You Go

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, His final words were not a farewell, but a commission:“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15).These words were not addressed only to pastors or missionaries. They were spoken to every believer — young or old, educated or not, male or female. The Great Commission is the heartbeat of the Church.

When the early disciples heard the command, they were few in number, uncertain, and afraid. Yet, empowered by the Holy Spirit, they went, and the world was never the same again. The Gospel spread from Jerusalem to Judea, to Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, because ordinary men and women carried an extraordinary message.

But “going out” does not always require crossing oceans or continents. Sometimes, it simply means stepping:

• across the street to check on a struggling neighbor
• across a disagreement to forgive and restore
• across your workplace to encourage someone who is silently hurting
• across your own hesitation to speak a simple word of hope

To carry the light is to move, from comfort to compassion, from silence to testimony, from fear to faith.

2. Shine the Light — Let the Gospel Be Seen Before It Is Heard

There’s a story of a missionary in Africa who once translated the Bible into a local language. When he reached the word “Gospel,” he struggled to find the right expression. Finally, a local elder suggested a phrase that meant “news that makes you dance.”

That is what the Good News does. It transforms sorrow into joy, guilt into grace, and despair into hope. But for the world to understand this Good News, they must first see it lived.The Gospel is not merely a message we speak; it is a reality we embody.

We shine His light when we:

• choose kindness in a world quick to anger
• offer forgiveness when revenge feels easier
• give generously when it would be simpler to keep
• stand for truth even when truth costs something
• love those who cannot give anything back

As Mother Teresa beautifully said, “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”

The brightest sermons are often preached without microphones or platforms. They are preached in kitchens, classrooms, hospitals, offices, grocery stores, and quiet everyday moments where love looks like patience, humility, or a listening ear.Before people hear the Good News from our lips, they should first see it reflected in our lives.

3. Walk in the Light — Move Forward With Courage, Powered by His Presence

When Jesus sent His disciples out two by two, He didn’t promise them ease. He promised something far better — His presence.“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

This promise remains true today. We do not go out in our own strength, wisdom, or eloquence; we go out in the power of the Holy Spirit.

It is the Spirit who:

• strengthens us when we feel afraid
• gives us words when we feel unprepared
• fills us with compassion when we feel empty
• leads us into conversations we didn’t anticipate
• opens doors we could never open ourselves

Just as the smallest act of obedience from Edward Kimball ignited a global ripple, God can take even the simplest gesture you offer and turn it into a story of eternal transformation.

Our Church today — your Church — continues this sacred mission. We are the sent-ones, bearers of light in a world clouded by fear, anxiety, and division. The Good News was never meant to remain within the four walls of the sanctuary. It is meant to go out — into homes, schools, hospitals, workplaces, and hearts.

To walk in His light is to walk with courage, purpose, and a Spirit-filled awareness that God is always ahead of us, preparing the way.

There is a well-loved saying found in many churches. Above the sanctuary entrance, it reads, “Come and Worship.”But on the inside, as people exit, another message awaits, “You Are Now Entering the Mission Field.”

Whether or not the story began in a specific church is unclear, but the message is undeniably true.Every time we step outside the church, we step into a world longing to hear, see, and experience the love of Christ. You may never stand behind a pulpit, but your life is the pulpit from which many will first encounter the Gospel.

You may feel ordinary, but so was Edward Kimball.You may feel inadequate, so did Moses, Jeremiah, and the early disciples.But God uses ordinary people to carry extraordinary light.

As we begin this new year, may we go forth:

• not with fear, but with faith
• not with hesitation, but with hope
• not with empty hands, but with hearts full of Christ’s love

“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” — Romans 10:15

May your feet, and your life, carry that Good News wherever you go.

Go, carry the light, shine the light, and walk in the light.
For you have been Lighted to Lighten.