Philumenists

I am the Light of the World

You people come and follow me.

If you follow and love,

You'll learn the mystery

Of what you were meant to do and be.

Can you say philumenist? Could you define it? I was listening to an interesting segment of CBC's Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly. He used to do the Age of Persuasion and both shows look at the power of advertising and the innovation that goes with it.

The piece to which I was listening talked about the person who came up with the idea of advertising on matchbook covers. His agency made big bucks on this one, even though it was greeted with some skepticism at the beginning. It continued to be a success until the invention of disposable lighters.

People took up collecting matchbook covers as a hobby and a term was developed to describe them --philumenists, or lovers of light.

It struck me that as Christians we are philumenists, lovers and reflectors of Christ's light. So much of religion including forms of Christianity is gloomy and dark. So many miserable, shadowy things are perpetrated in God's name.

We really need to ask ourselves daily how we are living the light of Christ in our homes, communities, the world. Actually, I encounter good, generous, compassionate Christians all the time. It's important that we uphold these stories, to make sure we don't "hide our light under a bushel" as Jesus puts it in the Sermon on the Mount. We are meant to be light-bearers, philumenists.

Do you know lovers of light? Is your faith community made up of active philumenists?