God uses all sorts of people to accomplish the divine will. The Jews had been in exile for fifty years in Babylon. Now there was a new conquering king - Cyrus - and he began an enlightened policy of tolerance. He permitted the Jews to return to Jerusalem and to resume their way of life - even the rebuilding of the temple. In Isaiah, Cyrus is even referred to as God's 'messiah' or anointed one. Even though he was unaware of it, Cyrus had been chosen to accomplish the will of the God of Israel. God does not play favorites, and any person on earth can be chosen for a mission. We should be careful about judging and labeling people as godless enemies - who knows what God has in store for them!

Our spirituality is not just for us and 'saving our soul' should not be our sole concern. Grace is not our personal possession and God's word is not to be hidden or given out in a stingy manner. The light that is within us is to be made visible to all and our wisdom is to be freely shared with others. Elsewhere in the gospels Jesus tells his followers that they are the light of the world - and so we are, but only when we shine brightly before others. Let each day be an opportunity to illuminate the steps of those around us and sow the seeds of hope and faith.