Ephesians 5:13-14
But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

"Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

It's as much about transformation and awakening as it is about endless debates and controversy, probably much more so about unveiling what's been hidden in the shadows of religion. It's about the gospel’s power to unveil and redeem what’s been concealed. Paul’s point isn’t just "spot the sinner" like whack-a-mole to win arguments; it’s that when the true light of Christ shines (through His word, His Spirit, and lives transformed by Him), hidden things; whether personal sins, systemic hypocrisy, or distortions of the faith, get exposed not to destroy, but so they can be transformed into light itself.

That which was dark is transformed into light. Not destroyed, embarrassed, mocked, made light of; but made into light, not the brunt of endless gotcha moments. Darkness is brought into the open so that Christ’s illuminating power can do what only He can; turn what was dark into light itself. Paul isn’t describing a process where hidden sin or religious hypocrisy gets dragged out for sport. The grammar and logic here point to a redemptive reversal.

Christ confronts, exposes, and challenges distorted religious beliefs and practices not out of a desire to condemn or destroy, but to redeem and restore. Think of how Jesus embodied this throughout His ministry, especially in His interactions with the religious leaders of His day, the Pharisees and scribes. He repeatedly challenged their hypocrisy, legalism, and outward piety that masked their inner corruption; exposing how they burdened people with rules while neglecting justice, mercy, and faith. Yet His motivation was never mere confrontation for its own sake. He came to seek and save the lost. They were among the lost. Though they were thought to be among the well, the righteous, the spiritually healthy, they too were in need of a Savior, a great Physician.

He grieved over Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37), longing to gather them under His wings like a hen gathers her chicks, yet they were unwilling. His sharp words were the scalpel of a Great Physician diagnosing a deadly condition so healing could begin, but his heart was longing for them to come to him for his light. He was motivated by both love for the sinner and the glory of the Father. He confronted to correct, to awaken, and to redeem. Jesus doesn’t write off the religious elite as irredeemable; He pursues them with truth and grace, exposing their shadows to the light of truth making dead things alive again. Because you realize don't you, if a thing is dead, it was alive before.

It's interesting because, almost quietly, the New Testament affirms that many Pharisees did indeed come to follow Christ. While the Gospels often highlight the sharp confrontations with the Pharisees, even those who seemed most entrenched in religious shadows, eventually found their way into the family of light. Though it was not always a pure enlightenment, many found it necessary to continue in their religious traditions (not much has changed today in that regard).

The clearest direct statement comes in Acts 15:5 (during the Jerusalem Council):

"But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, ‘It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.’"

Doctor Luke explicitly calls them "believers", and identifies them as from the sect of the Pharisees. They had come to faith in Jesus as the Messiah, yet they still carried some of their former emphasis. This showed that Pharisaic believers weren’t rare outliers but a notable contingent among the new Christian family. James later mentions "many thousands" of believing Jews who were "zealous for the law" (Acts 21:20). Probably from among the sect of the Pharisees.

Many who were once blind in self-righteousness awoke, arose from spiritual deadness, and let Christ shine on (and through) them. Jesus confronted to redeem them, not to destroy. Not for clicks and jabs, laughs and giggles. This gives us profound hope. In any era, including ours, where self-righteousness or religious shadows persist (in individuals, systems, traditions, or communities), Christ’s approach remains the same; confront to redeem, expose to restore, challenge to reconcile. No glee in the takedown, only joy in the awakening.

No one is too entrenched for His pursuing light. Sleepers still wake, dead still rise, shadows still shine when Christ enters in on the scene. And so, when we enter we're there to shine light, not entertain conflict. Whether we're casting light into personal shadows, entrenched religious systems, traditions gone astray, or communities dimmed by self-righteousness, we’re called to shine for transformation, not to throw fuel on the fire.

It's simple, all of this began with wanting to discern what pleases the Lord. He calls us to live as children of light so the contrast naturally reveals truth. Our light should be His light, light that invites repentance, and produces real fruit. The goal is always redemption, not winning arguments or racking up engagement.

In prison ministry especially this resonates. We encounter people who are deeply entrenched in cycles of darkness, regret, and often hardened religious facades masking their inner brokenness. They "belong" to a variety of "groups" that define their ideas and identity; pagans, Muslims, Jews, atheists, and so on. All looking to be seen as belonging to these systems for the benefit of their own safety and security. It's almost like self defense. So this is a more raw and real degree of the same dynamic that Paul was dealing with. It carries greater burdens in the sense that self preservation is involved in the choices, but it's all the same thing in the end. And as we see every weekend we go there, these dynamics face the light of Christ and find enlightenment.

Prison ministry isn’t some abstract theological parallel; it’s the lived reality of the same spiritual battle Paul addressed, but amplified by the high-stakes environment of incarceration, something he was very familiar with. Incarcerated people aren’t just clinging to religious identities or group affiliations for comfort or status, they’re doing it for survival. Self-preservation instincts kick in hard. And the light of Christ still enters, in and through us. The light confronts those entrenched cycles, not with condemnation or force, but with a persistent, gentle, pursuing presence. It's hardworking active faith. Light in the form of homemade cookies that say "you’re seen and valued," letters of encouragement, shared prayers where tears leak out through the cracks in the hardness, and consistent ongoing return visits that model God’s unrelenting love. The same reconciling Spirit that awakened Pharisees like Nicodemus and Paul now pierces those prison walls. Former darkness; whether wrapped in religious systems, gang loyalties, or self-protective atheism, gets exposed not for mockery or destruction, but for redemption. Sleepers wake, dead things rise, and shadows begin to shine when Christ shows up through faithful servants.

The church needs to hear this; not as guilt, but as an invitation to join where Christ is already at work.