Shine Bright Like a Diamond
When I’m giving a thought for the day I like to share with you some piece of news that I think you might not have heard, so I wonder if you’ve heard that Robyn Rihanna Fenty (commonly known by her stage name Rihanna) has been given the order “National hero of Barbados”.
The island nation in the west indies has recently become a
republic, meaning that it no longer has the queen of England as its head of
state. At the ceremony where it official became a republic, Prince Charles
explained how cutting ties with the UK in this way is a way for the people of
Barbados to move on from the “atrocity of slavery” that colours the past of the
country.
And Rihanna is undoubtedly one of the most famous faces from
the nation of Barbados, and through her music career, she has gradually shown
Caribbean influences. In her speech proclaiming her a national hero, the Prime
Minister of Barbados quoted one of Rihanna’s songs, saying “May you continue to
shine bright like a diamond”. She wants Rihanna to continue to be an ambassador
for the country of Barbados, sharing the beauty of its culture with the world.
It’s a lovely image from a catchy song. Glistening, bringing
light into a dark world is a very attractive concept – wouldn’t we love to
shine bright like a diamond!
Well we can! The Bible tells us that if we do good deeds, we
will shine and others may see the light that comes from our lives. That might
be a good way to live your life, thinking about who you can bring light to. Who
can you shine light on today?
But also, the Bible says that those who are saved by God shine
“like Jewels in a crown” – that’s Zechariah 9v16 if you want to look it up. If
you want to really shine, really shine bright like a diamond, then come to
Jesus, let him save you from all your darkness, then you will shine with his
wonderful light. Isn’t that a great prospect as the nights get darker and
colder.
So shine bright like a diamond today, and this Christmas,
why not find out more about Jesus, the one true light. Go to
christchurchhuntingdon.co.uk/Christmas for information on our church services
(other churches are available). But for now I’ll leave you with the music of
the newly-hailed national hero of Barbados. Have a great day!
Followed by “Diamonds” by Rihanna.