by the Rt. Rev. Kristin Uffelman White
At our diocesan convention last year, I invited us as Episcopalians in Southern Ohio to a Year of Jesus–a chance to pray and think about and talk about who Jesus is, for us as disciples, and to find the words and actions that fit with our faith.
As we prepare for diocesan gatherings this year, I’m inviting leaders to frame our gatherings through that lens, asking questions like: What does it mean for us to lead churches and the diocese as disciples? How does Jesus show our clergy faithful ways to engage and resolve conflict? Who are the people on the margins, and how is Jesus inviting us to seek and serve them?
It seemed, too, like our diocesan eConnections might be a good place for me to engage those kinds of questions with you as well. So please look, with each edition this year, for a simple reflection from me about Jesus, and a question or prayer for what that might mean in your own life and faith.
In this past Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus says, “You are the light of the world.”[1] He talks about a city on a hill that can’t be hid, about how none of us puts a bushel basket over a lamp. And then he says this: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”[2]
Jesus names us as the light of the world and invites us to let that light shine. But it’s not for our own sake. Instead, he calls for our light to point people toward God.
What does it mean for you to shine, in a way that God is glorified? How have you seen that happen, in your own life or in the lives of other people, this week?
The Rt. Rev. Kristin Uffelman White is the tenth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio.
