Hi, my name is Robert. I am a senior, and I currently am in my fourth year of Shining Light. Concerning my background, I am a musician; more specifically a pianist, singer, and I’ve composed, but I wouldn’t consider myself a composer. I hope to pursue a career in opera, but honestly, I just want to become a musician, whatever that means. Nonetheless, for the past two years, I was accepted as a scholarship student to the Juilliard Pre-College division for voice, basically Juilliard geared to grade school students (to give you a picture, it’s the one that August Rush did, only a lot less dramatic). This program takes place on Saturdays during the school year. I’ve also participated in the Boston University Tanglewood Institute (“Tanglewood”) and the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts, all of which have enriched my understanding of music and of life in general.
I consider Shining Light to be a vital part of my musical and spiritual background, this year being no different. Shining Light has kept me from being pigeon-holed in classical voice by providing me opportunities to sing rock and R&B type styles. It has also given me exposure and experience in dance of various styles and plain acting. All of these have benefitted my musicality immensely.
But the main reason why I enjoy and appreciate Shining Light so much is because of manifest closeness of God I feel in it, whether on stage singing, writing a letter to an inmate, practicing a dance routine, or having small groups. It is said that the gates are Heaven are near the gates of Hell, and we experience that every time we walk into a prison and perform for the audience there. God uses us as his “shining light” to communicate to the inmates a message of hope, a message seldom preached in those facilities. Shining Light is such a vehicle to get across God’s amazing love, both to the audience and to us; having both seen and participated in Shining Light shows, I can honestly say that I am more greatly impacted on stage than off. Shining Light has been invaluable in keeping me on the righteous path for these grueling High School years. Having a network of passionate, Christian friends is something I wouldn’t trade for the world. I feel so blessed to be able to participate in this group, a group which has a powerful message and is unique in the United States and perhaps even the world in its mode of evangelism.
I have been at Teen Challenge several times, and if I’m not mistaken, this is my seventh time there. Teen Challenge is always a blessing. Local audiences are polite, but not responsive, whereas some facility audiences are rude, and responsive in that way. Teen Challenge, however, is a perfect balance of both elements. Considering this was our first show of the year, and returning members were rusty and new members were…new, the show was still a diamond in the rough. According to some audience members, it was difficult to tell that there were technical errors, but on stage, it seemed like we weren’t up to par. I was extremely impressed that the men weren’t acknowledging our faux pas, like so many others would do in other facilities. Despite our slip-ups, it reminded me that God works even in those situations— He drove through the message we all came to share, regardless of how well we danced or sang. I think that was most evident in the song “The Lord’s Prayer”, when at the end, all the members of the audience stood up and cheered. It was a glorious moment.
After the show, I was on a spiritual high. It’s always been difficult for me to step out of my comfort zone and really give my all to Jesus as I worship; but at Teen Challenge, I finally busted through that wall, and it felt so good. God has really used Shining Light to bring me closer to Him, and it’s been a remarkable experience. Whether it’s our culminating tour, a local prison, or a local community performance, God never ceases to amaze me through Shining Light. It has left an indelible mark on my spiritual walk and shown me the true meaning of the phrase, “God will provide.”