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"Paul tells the church in Philippi that they should shine like stars in contrast to the dark and crooked world around them.  This call to be a light is rooted in Hebrew scriptures, like that of the prophet Isaiah who spoke of a promised Messiah that would be a great light to the people who walk in darkness (Isaiah 9:2), and Daniel where the wise and righteous shine like stars in the sky forever and ever (Daniel 12:3).  God assured Abraham that, as a part of their covenant, his descendants, who as yet did not exist, would be as numerous, and maybe as luminous, as the stars.  Like the North Star which can guide a sailors home or the slave to the safety and freedom of the north, those who shine like stars are a beacon in the midst of the blinding, dangerous, and chaotic darkness of human brokenness… God is at work in you, enabling you to look different in a world that is too often dark and broken.  But rest assured, the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may give glory to God in heaven."