For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth. (Eph 5:8-9 NIV)

You are a light in the Lord, that surely means nothing else than: You are in the Lord, you are united with Christ and your example aught to shine forth in good works of love plus inner and outer purity and holiness. Before this you were darkness, there was no light to be seen and nobody was edified by the good example. Now however your conduct serves others as light and shows them the way. Those that still remain in darkness and shadow of death aught to see how lovely it is to be with Jesus Christ if they look at you. You are supposed to invite and excite people around you to go this way too by your life and behavior – at least as far as you are able. Like a wonderful tree of light your entire live aught to carry all sorts of fruits of light like goodness, righteousness and truth. Instead of unchaste love that pulls its object into destruction and damnation, you are to be filled in pure goodness, that is in itself good and benefits others too. Instead of unrighteousness righteousness should rule, that holy life, that pleases God. Instead of foolish talk and obscene words lovely and truthful talk should flow from your mouth at the right time and in an appropriate fashion. This is pleasing to God and builds up people positively. That aught to be and if it is not like that, then darkness has again taken over. Then the shadow of God’s displeasure falls on your life, the power of heathendom returns, godlessness and egoism rule once again defacing goodness and opposing the Holy Spirit.

In the world its dark, that’s why we are to let Christ’s light shine. Everyone in his corner, you in yours and I in mine. Oh, we can not shine out of our own. Even if we tried, we’d not make it truly light. Jesus is our sun. He shines brightly and healingly. Let your light – o Lord – enlighten my heart and lighten my life. In your bright light o God we reflect it on – he there, she there and I over here + (Author unknown )

This is a translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Friday after Sunday Oculi (3rd Sunday in Lent). The prayer was translated rather literally and not poetically. Both are found on Pg. 136 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and published in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.