“Rise Like the Sun” – The United Church of Christ StillSpeaking Daily Devotional by The Rev. Kaji Douŝa

Arise, shine, for your light has come. – Isaiah 60:1a (NRSV)

There are so many forces telling us to keep our heads down, produce, don’t look up.

Because when we do look up, when we pick up our heads and see with our hearts, then: we start to perceive. We ask questions. We resist.

We resist the forces of evil when we listen to each other and care for each other. Not just individually, but collectively. But that requires us to look up. And look out.

For bleakness shall cover the earth (Isaiah 60:2). But for how long?

The prophet is telling us just what we need to do:

Arise. Shine.

Our light has come! And that light, that light that Jesus shines on this situation is there to show us the only way out of this: that, for the first time ever in this nation, we lead with compassion first.

That sounds so far-fetched. But the truth is that this system cannot and will not hold. Greed for a tiny number of people while the rest of us are left to die will only work so long as we let it.

Arise. Look up.

We can do this.

And this is why I love what I do. Because I see you, I love you, and I see what we can be. You are my hope. And y’all? We can change the world. With the help of God, we shall.

You with me?

Prayer

Let us rise like the sun, O God, for the sake of your Creation. Amen.

The “StillSpeaking Daily Devotional” series is produced by The United Church of Christ.