Every year, our church has the privilege and opportunity to be one of the hosts of a truly special event called Night to Shine. Night to Shine is a worldwide movement, led by churches, that shares the love of Jesus and celebrates the worth and value of people with special needs. It is a prom held in over 620 churches in all 50 states and 46 countries around the world. For all of the volunteers and participants, it is one of the most anticipated days of the year. For this year’s event, we were blessed with more than 250 guests and 200 volunteers. It is a night like no other. Red carpet arrivals alongside cheering paparazzi, delicious meals, crowning of the kings and queens, and hours of dancing, singing, and games fill the night with mountains of fun and laughter. It is always a night that is never forgotten.
From the stroll down the red carpet to the DJ’s final song, your heart cannot help but smile from the joy and excitement written on the face of every participant. So many hugs and high fives. It is one of those events that when you walk out at the end of the night, you are already looking forward to next year.
This entire experience is a simple reminder of how much God loves us, redeems us through Jesus Christ, and empowers us to share it with a dying world. One of my favorite bands, the Newsboys, sums it up in the chorus of one of their best songs called “Shine”:
Shine.
Make ’em wonder whatcha got.
Make ’em wish that they were not
On the outside looking bored.
Shine.
Let it shine before all men.
Let ‘em see good works and then
Let ‘em glorify the Lord.
Jesus instructed us to do this in His sermon on the mount in Matthew 5:14-16:
NKJV
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Jesus is letting us know here that we are not just light receivers, but also light givers. We are to live for more than ourselves. It would be difficult to turn our eyes away from a city on a hill, so it should be when people see the beauty of God’s work in our lives.
Just how our Night to Shine guests light up the room, that is how followers of Christ should be to the world. So let us continually seek and live out the words of Christ. Let us continue to be the light in the darkness. Let us shine brightly no matter where we are and make them wonder what we’ve got. That’s how a lost world gets found!
Wayne Errig