Jesus said, “You are the light of the world,” to his disciples in Matthew 5:14. That invitation of being the “light” is the core message of Pastor Nirup Alphonse’s new book Defiant Lights: How Following Jesus’ Call to Live Differently Remakes Us and Restores Our World.
The name Defiant Lights is an invitation to live counter-culturally, humbly and quietly shining the light God divinely placed within us in defiance of the world’s darkness. The book lays out seven postures of the heart that counterbalance what the world currently shows – things like anger, loneliness, and dismissiveness. Instead, we are to be a people of mercy and love, as Jesus so often displayed.
Nirup shares many stories of people throughout history who embody these attributes. He also writes from his own personal viewpoint and experiences. “My real passion is to see the imagination of Christians awaken and to see how they can live as a Christ follower,” he says. Born in Singapore, raised in India, and brought to the United States at 14, Nirup has spent his life around people of international cultures, languages, and backgrounds. He has a heart for the global church of brothers and sisters to emulate the life Christ led, versus the culture of this modern world.
Defiant Lights is set to publish on September 22nd. Pastor Nirup and his family call Denver, Colorado home after planting LIFEGATE in 2014.
