You are the Light of the World−Let it Shine

Each day we hear news about violence, division, war, poverty, mental illness, homelessness, human trafficking and the like. We see problems all around us fraught with darkness and lack of hope. The “Light of the World”—who is Jesus Christ —came to the earth to challenge the darkness. He carried the news that our vacuity could be filled with his light. If there is any distinctive of Christian higher education, it is preparing our students to become beacons of light where darkness so easily reigns. Here each student’s maturation moves beyond the dispatch of knowledge, to ascend to the corridors of wisdom. A wisdom that grows only in relationship with the living God and in loving our neighbors.

Jesus spoke to the multitudes about living a blessed life. The blessed life is the life of light, it is the life of love. His wisdom instructed them to be humble; to grieve about wrongdoing. He says they are “blessed” if they hunger for truth, act mercifully and live with a pure heart towards God. They are to be the peacemakers who light the way out of darkness for those living in bondage and chaos.

This light is the expression of God’s love in service to others. The Apostle Paul reminds us that this work done without love has no eternal value (I Corinthians 13), and no association with Christ. Allowing our lights to shine through our service is foundational to the educational mission of Fresno Pacific University. We not only educate to serve, but we educate to serve with the love of God—this is true wisdom.

In this edition of Pacific you will find stories of light and love that manifest through the lives of our graduates. These lives affirm the value of FPU in serving as a conduit for light and love throughout the Central Valley and beyond. This light is God’s gift to all of us. It is also our gift in “Engaging the Cultures and Serving the Cities.”