Stand Up, Shine

Di whole world dark. Thick-thick darkness, on top every land and every people. Then, on top one city, di sky begin dey shine small-small, like when sun wan rise. And one voice call di city: Wake up! Stand up! Shine!

Isaiah chapter sixty na word wey God talk to Jerusalem, wey dem also dey call Zion. Dis city don see wahala. Dem break her wall, dem burn her temple, dem scatter her people. Even di ones wey come back home only find one poor, small town wey dey struggle. Dem no feel like say dem get any glory at all. For di chapters wey dey before, God promise say one Redeemer go come Zion, come meet di people wey turn from dia sin. And now God dey talk to di city like say she be woman wey lie down for ground, dey mourn. Stand up. Tins wan change.

God talk say: Stand up, shine, because your light don come, and di glory of di Lord don rise on top you. Make you notice am: di light no be Jerusalem own. Na im e come meet. God glory dey rise on top her, di way sun dey rise on top di hills. God still talk say: Look, darkness go cover di earth, and thick darkness go cover di peoples, but di Lord go rise on top you, and people go see im glory on you. All around, di world still dey for shadow. But on top God people, one light dey shine. And because of dat light, something wey go shock everybody happen. Di nations go come meet your light, and kings go come meet di brightness of your rising.

Then God tell di city make she look around. Lift up your eyes, look round, see: all of dem dey gather together, dem dey come meet you. Your sons go come from far place, and dem go carry your daughters for hand. Di children wey scatter dey come back home. Imagine one mama wey stand for her door, she see her children wey don lost dey show for di top of di hill. Then you go see am, your face go shine, your heart go jump and e go open wide. Her face light up. Her heart be like say e wan burst. And no be only her family. Di wealth of di sea, di riches of di nations, go come meet her.

And see di camels dey come. Plenty-plenty camels go cover you, young camels from Midian and Ephah. All of dem from Sheba go come. Dem go carry gold and frankincense, and dem go dey announce di praise of di Lord. Long line of camels from di desert lands for south and east, dem dey shake as dem carry gold and incense wey dey smell sweet. Dem no come fight. Dem come praise God. Many hundred years after, wise men from di east follow one star come Jerusalem, then dem reach Bethlehem. When dem find di pikin with Mary im mama, dem bow down worship am, and dem open dia treasure: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Di light wey Isaiah see dey rise on top Zion don enter di world as small baby. And di nations don begin dey come meet am.

For di old world, frankincense na one of di things wey cost pass. Na gum wey dey smell sweet, wey people dey tap from di bark of small trees wey dey grow for di dry hills of south Arabia and di Horn of Africa. Di Roman writer Pliny di Elder, for im book Natural History, explain how dem dey gather am for Arabia, carry am go north with caravan, and how im price dey climb as e dey travel. When you put am for hot charcoal, e dey bring out smoke wey sweet and sharp, and temples all over di old world dey use am, including di temple for Jerusalem.

Stand up, shine. Na Isaiah chapter sixty be dat, verse one reach six. For dark world, God light dey rise on top im people, and di nations dey come meet am with gifts. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Jesus talk say im followers na di light of di world. Where you fit make im light shine dis week?