“Having light we pass it on to others.” You can’t walk around Wittenberg University in Springfield, OH without learning this, the school’s motto. It is pressed in the massive bronze seal in the center of campus and etched in glass on entryway doors. The passing of the torch graphic is imprinted on letterhead and illuminated in the stained glass windows of Weaver Chapel. Light pole banners, campus activity posters, and Witt merchandise all feature the campus mantra. “Having light we pass it on to others” dominates the landscape of this liberal arts university.
A little history. “The university was created by a group of pastors who broke with the German church and created the English Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Ohio. They believed that the English language was a way to foster the inclusiveness of the new American nation. In 1842, the new synod voted unanimously to establish a theological and literary institution that would serve the educational and cultural needs of new immigrants and new communities.” (www.wittenberg.edu). From the beginning, Wittenberg was a beacon of hope!
But this motto is more than only a catchphrase from the early years of this institution. It is a mission statement that continues to propel people into transformative learning and growth, and then out into the world to make a difference.
When I was a student at Wittenberg, I couldn’t help but read the motto through my own Christian lens. Sharing the light of Christ is at the heart of our journey. During these undergraduate years, you are given the opportunity to huddle on campus and in the community to learn and grow in the things that you already love and enjoy, but also to wonder, stretch, explore, and invest beyond your comfort zone. It is an invitation to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit as you learn more about yourself, the needs of the world, and how God is calling you to offer your wonderful and unique self to love and serve. “Having light we pass it on to others” was not only about caring for one another and life together on campus, but also a paradigm for life.
That’s what we’re up to it Lord Of Life, too. We gather as a community of Christian faith to be encouraged and fueled up, and then take the light of Christ out into every corner of our diverse lives. Our mission statement helps focus our energies to “live, share, and celebrate with all people, God’s love in Jesus Christ.” This isn’t a little club motto for us to hide behind, but a marching mandate as we love and serve God and neighbor.
We are light-bearers here and now. We even named our capital campaign “Share the Light.” Now is the time for us to live deeper into relationships, stand with people in moments of joy and sorrow, celebration and loss. How that happens looks different for each of us, as we radiate hope, healing, and encouragement to the world.
Now is also the time for us to share more generously, as we carve out extra time to be a mentor, tutor, listening ear, or helping hand. It is also about sharing our gifts, whether it be in leadership, finances, an encouraging word, or otherwise.
And now is certainly the time for celebration! Not only a happy, party kind of celebration as vaccines roll out, but marking milestones and immersing friends, neighbors, and strangers in the promises of God.
This is a time for us to radiate the brilliant love and light of Jesus Christ in the world. We may still be in the final days of winter, in the middle of Lent, but Easter promises are on the horizon. We love, because God first loved us! (1 John 4:19)
Sharing the light of Christ,
Pastor Lowell