A social commentator speculated that if Moses were to come down from Mount Sinai today, the two tablets he would bring would be aspirins.  Despite its incredible affluence and technological achievements, America is in a serious moral and spiritual crisis.  We are witnessing the after-math of society’s decision to exchange its Judeo-Christian heritage for the bankrupt philosophy of post-modernism.  As followers of Jesus Christ, how are we to respond to this spiritual paralysis in our nation?

While many wring their hands and curse the darkness, thousands of Christians are lighting a candle.  This spiritual phenomenon spreading from coast to coast is called The Lighthouse Movement.  Its goal is to pray for, care for, and share the good news of Jesus Christ with every man, woman, and young person in the U.S. by the end of year 2000.  More than 350 denominations and ministries, including The Medical Strategic Network, are collaborating to establish 3 million Lighthouses to reach 260 million Americans with the gospel.

A Lighthouse can be a person, a family, a Bible study or prayer group, an organization, or a local church.  It can be anyone willing to commit to pray for, care for, and share the gospel with people in their neighborhood, workplace, school, civic or professional organization, or circle of friends. 

Prayer calls on God’s Spirit to create spiritual awareness and hunger among those who do not yet know Christ.  No one can come to Christ apart from the work of His Spirit.  This can be accomplished through various creative ways.  A regular time of con-certed prayer with others in a Lighthouse prayer group is a powerful force for spiritual change (Matthew 18:20).  An individual, couple, or group of professionals could take a “prayerwalk” and pray for people by name as they walk past the homes in their neighborhood, campus dorms, or the offices in their building or hospital.  Medical students could divide up the names of their medical school class to lift their peers up in prayer as they intentionally reach out to them. 

I developed a prayer list which includes 30-some people in my immediate “professional neighborhood:”  my colleagues in the Division of Gastroenterology at three affiliated hospitals, the subspecialty fellows whose clinical training I supervise, the nurses, secretaries, and research and administrative personnel that I interact with.  I add the names of their spouses and children as I meet them.  In the neighborhood where we relocated, we are flanked by two Jewish families; a large Mormon fam-ily lives two doors down the street; and a Christian Science family is directly across from us.  My wife and I keep a prayer list of the neighbors we meet, including the names of their children.  As we get to know our neighbors, we incorporate additional bits of information about them into this list.  We also keep a journal to track prayers and specific answers to prayer. 

Caring for the people on your prayer list by meeting their needs provides the Holy Spirit with an opportunity to express the love of Christ through you.  Our part is to be willing to step into their worlds and to become involved in their lives.  Relating to those who do not know the Lord may feel a bit uncomfortable at first because we have so little in common with them.  But God will show us how we can demonstrate His love in a tangible and meaningful way. 

Sharing the gospel as opportunities arise can be done in a sensitive and nonthreatening manner.  Windows of opportunity will surface through natural conversation as we pray and care for those who do not know the Lord. Specialized training in medical evangelism is available through the METS program.  For more information, call the Network office or visit our website.  To get involved in Mission America’s Lighthouse strategy, go to www.lighthousemovement.com.

Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father who is in heav-en” (Matthew 5:14–16 NIV).

Contact Dr. Chen at:  ychen@GoMETS.org.