Arise and Shine: A Call to Reflect God’s Light in a Dark World
Thank you, Neil—you certainly made me feel old! As he rightly said, I've been coming to this church all my life. It's a privilege to call City Church Swansea my home church. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support over so many years. I deeply appreciate the many individuals who are still here and have journeyed with me. To the Usage Family Church, thank you for your partnership.
Ministry in Malawi: A Snapshot
I serve as a missionary in Malawi with Chifona Trust, located in the rural south about an hour and twenty minutes from Blantyre. My home sits surrounded by maize fields with Mount Mulanje in view—truly remote.
Educating the Deaf
We primarily operate an education centre for deaf children, currently serving nine students aged 5 to 17. These children were struggling in overcrowded government classrooms (often 100+ students), where their special needs went unmet. In partnership with their guardians and school heads, we brought them into our day program.
Evans (15, pictured in blue) walks a long distance daily, even crossing a river. During the rainy season, if the water rises too high, he takes a much longer route—yet he never misses a day. He’s now learning tailoring skills and recently made his first bag.
Rashika (6, youngest student) joined after her mother’s death. She currently attends preschool and receives 40 minutes of daily sign language tutoring before joining full-time in September.
Our teaching team includes a passionate local graduate in a red shirt (a natural with sign language), our director Les, and myself.
Our curriculum focuses on practical life skills—basic math, English, Chichewa, and agriculture—instead of standard academics. We use creative methods like laminated fake money for financial literacy lessons (though the kids quickly realised it couldn’t be used at the market!). Clothing lessons involve dressing up in my and Les’s clothes for vocabulary games. Recently, donated backpacks from this church brought huge smiles and pride.
Broader Community Impact
Preschool: We support 25 children, giving them a foundation in the alphabet, numbers, and English before primary school.
Daily Nutrition: A local prison donates porridge daily—a vital blessing ensuring children learn on full stomachs.
English Classes: When Malawian students reach Standard 5, instruction switches abruptly to English. We offer afternoon classes for Standards 1-4 to bridge this gap through games and visual learning.
Youth & Alpha: Sunday afternoons draw 40 youth for Bible study and games. We’ve also launched an Alpha course for our staff, hoping to expand it village-wide.
Baby Feston: Supported with formula since his mother died two days after his birth in November 2021. He’s thriving and will transition to solid food soon.
Education Sponsorship: We help secondary students like Pempero (finishing exams) cover school fees. In return, they assist with gardening on-site.
Playground: A generous Christmas gift from an Ealing church funded playground equipment—a lasting joy for children with few toys.
Elim Church Partnership: I spoke at a ladies’ conference and joined hospital visits. Attendees travelled up to 10 hours crammed in trucks—a testament to their dedication.
The M’bwana Family: We’ve long supported this family after the father died in 2015. Maureen (12) excels in secondary school, Memory (13) starts soon, and Joe has cerebral palsy. Their growing faith is a joy.
Current Challenges
Malawi faces significant struggles:
Fuel Shortages: Queues last hours (or days!) due to foreign currency shortages needed for imports. New Year’s Day saw me waiting 8 hours for petrol.
Food Insecurity: Subsistence farming relies on unpredictable rains. This year, a month-long dry spell after planting caused widespread hunger.
Inflation: At 33%, prices are astronomically high.
Rising Crime: Desperation fuels theft and violence.
Elections: September’s presidential vote brings potential tension. Prayers for peace and good leadership are needed.
Your support makes you part of this work. Thank you for standing with us.
Arise and Shine: A Call to the Church
The world feels increasingly dark—wars, hatred, corruption, and evil abound. It’s easy to feel fearful and uncertain. But God’s Word speaks clearly into this:
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” (Isaiah 60:1-3 NIV)
This isn’t a gentle invitation; it’s a command to God’s people. We are called to reflect His light, bringing hope to a world shrouded in darkness. Isaiah prophesied this during Israel’s own dark time, pointing to the future Light—Jesus.
What Does "Arise" Mean?
Think about your mornings. Are you quick to jump up, or do you hit snooze and pull the covers tighter? Arising is a choice. It means waking up, leaving comfort, and gearing up for action. Spiritually, it’s the same. We choose to rise from complacency and step into God’s purposes. We choose to stand in His grace.
Living in rural Africa, I’ve experienced literal darkness—power outages lasting hours or days. Darkness disorients; you stumble, unsure of dangers nearby. But even a small candle dispels it. Just as sunrise transforms night into day, Christ’s light shatters spiritual darkness. Isaiah foretold this:
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:2 NIV)
Jesus fulfilled this: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12 NIV). Where God is, darkness vanishes. The world desperately needs this light—and we are called to reflect it. If you know Jesus, you are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). This isn’t about receiving light; it’s about radiating it.
Despite troubling global circumstances, this is our moment to be radiant, hopeful, and joyful. Why? The Light has come! God’s glory rests upon every believer (Isaiah 60:1). Christ lives in us—"Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27 NIV). Jesus declares, "You are the light of the world." So how do we respond?
Two Practical Ways to Shine
Shine in Kindness:
Remember Dorcas (Acts 9)? Her kindness, making clothes for the poor, impacted her community so deeply that her death brought mourners filling the room. A kind word, gesture, or deed can be life-changing. It might be the difference between someone giving up or pressing on. Let’s choose kindness today. Speak kindly. Act kindly. Let others see Jesus through us. As Jesus said:
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.” (Matthew 5:14-15 NLT)
Our kindness isn’t for our glory, but His.
Shine in Your Work:
Many work just for a paycheck, doing the bare minimum. Ever been to an office where the staff ignored you, distracted by phones or coffee breaks? Contrast that with someone who goes above and beyond. As Christians, we work ultimately for God, not people. Our attitude and diligence should be exemplary. Be the best cleaner, teacher, or volunteer you can be. Don’t settle for average. Be like Bezalel (Exodus 31:1-5), masterfully skilled for God’s glory. Paul urges:
“Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.” (Philippians 2:14-15 MSG)
Why Shine?
The Light has come: Jesus conquered sin and death. We stand on the victorious side!
God’s glory is upon you: His presence empowers you. We shine through His life in us.
People are in darkness: We carry a unique hope. Light attracts—like Malawi’s flying ants drawn to lamps. People should be drawn to Christ in us. As Isaiah proclaims: "Look! Listen! God’s here!" Jesus is alive and present—in you.
Don’t hit the spiritual snooze button or pull the covers over your head. Today, choose to arise and shine. Reflect His light right where you are.
Closing Challenge
Paul’s words in Ephesians 5:8-9 (NLT) resonate:
“For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.”
As we pray, ask God: Where do I need to arise? Is it complacency? Kindness? Your work ethic? Something else? Make the choice today to shine for Him.
This blog is based on a sermon delivered by Jackie Griffiths on June 1, 2025 at the City Church Swansea