Some years ago, a politician in Britain described her boss as having, “something of the night” about him. It wasn’t a compliment. It may have been that she had today’s epistle in mind. St Paul writes to the church in Thessaloniki that Christians are, “children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.” (1 Thes 5.5).
Paul is using the imagery of nightlife people who are out late, getting drunk, and in the daytime are sleepy and tired. He wants Christians to be like sober people, refreshed and ready for action after a good night’s sleep, making the most of the day so that they can attend to their faith and the work of God.
I’ll admit this doesn’t sound great if you’re not a morning person, or you suffer from insomnia. It is only a simile used to illustrate an underlying point: we must avoid getting so wrapped up in our own desires and day-to-day living that we lose touch with God’s activity in our life and world. Instead Paul wants us to be alert to God at all times, so that we are able to notice when the Holy Spirit is at work in our homes, communities and workplaces. When we’re tuned into Jesus through prayerful living, we’re more able discern his call on our lives.
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