Bring the Light of Christ to the World

There are many stories in the history of The Christophers' organization that tell of lives transformed by our Gospel-based message. One such story regards a doctor who had become so troubled that he was contemplating suicide. He had even planned when and how he would take his own life. Then one day, while riding the subway, he spotted a Christopher News Note lying on the floor. He picked it up, opened it, and began to read.

There he encountered a key element of the Christian message that we strive to highlight. It reminded him that each individual has a unique purpose in this world that belongs to no one else. In that moment, his heart was opened to the reality that he was called by God to accomplish some good in this world, and it gave him purpose to go on living.

Imagine the lives impacted by that doctor who chose to carry within his heart such a sense of purpose. The movie It's a Wonderful Life presents a stark contrast between a world with - and a world without - the good that a single individual can accomplish. It shows that each one of us is faced with a stark choice: to allow ourselves to be consumed by our own cares - or to wake up each day and boldly bring the light of Christ into the world.

Father James Keller, M.M., founded The Christophers in order to remind people of this profound call that God extends to each of us to use our talents for the greater good. He once told the story of attending a meeting at New York's Metropolitan Opera House. He entered only to find a darkened auditorium, at which point someone with him lit a match and set off to find a light switch. Father Keller said, "The sight of that tiny flame made an indelible impression on me. Insignificant as it was, it was greater than the darkness. All that was needed to banish the darkness completely was to multiply that flicker of light."

Father Keller recognized that the negative elements of society could only be overcome with a positive outlook. He said, "One of the best ways to cure a starving patient is to build him up with nourishing food; the best way to cure this disease in our society is to build up society itself with good ideas and ideals."

This positive approach to life remains the remedy for what ails our society. Think about the difference you make in people's lives when you interact with them in a positive manner. It brightens their day and inspires them to pass that sense of joy along to those they encounter. This is the multiplication of light that Father Keller was talking about, and it has the power to transform the world.

In his lifetime, Father Keller helped call multitudes of people to contribute their light to the greater good in society. Many of us still carry that message of hope within our hearts, and it's time for us to call the next generation of Christophers to this mission. Christopher means Christ-bearer. All it takes to be a Christopher is to make that choice to carry the light of Christ into the world. So let's make this call to friends and loved ones, children and grandchildren, so that our society can heal and hope can reign in the hearts of multitudes of people throughout our nation and around the world.

This essay is a recent "Light One Candle" column by Father Ed Dougherty, M.M., The Christophers' Board of Directors ; it is one of a series of weekly columns that deal with a variety of topics and current events.

Background information:

The Christophers