You are the Light of the World..

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. --Mt 5: 14-16

This scripture passage makes me think of many things. First I think of where does the light come from? I on my own cannot make this light.  I am but an empty shell, that in great dependence and humility, will always need filling up by my Lord and God.  So my light can’t ever come from myself. My light comes from my reception and participation in the sacraments and life in Christ.  My light comes from me pouring out of the false self, so that I can be filled up with Christ Himself.  My light comes from being real with myself and allowing the truth of his love to destroy the lies i have been sold.

The light comes from living in true light itself. which is God!

So even with all the light that I get why do i hide it? Why do I then keep it from others? It’s funny because in a lot of ways we can’t!  It is something that cannot be hidden.  It is part of who we are as Christians to be a light in the world.  To dispel the darkness that surrounds us.  So why do we hide it...we have to try really hard to do so.  We hide it because it is first and foremost too hard to live in it.  Light makes things clear to see and so I would rather live in darkness then to walk through the pain and suffering that the light of Christ may bring.  It just seems easier that way. 

The reality is, it is not easier. Living in darkness becomes more and more painful.  It’s so interesting, because when I speak of darkness I am not necessarily speaking only of sin, but of who we are not being and what we avoid so as to become fully alive.  Living in that darkness can also mean living in lukewarmness and not doing what needs to be done to be in deeper relationship with Christ.  Darkness may not be sin, but a darkness to who we are called to be.  

The beauty of the light in the darkness is the concept that God uses everything to save us.  That also includes the transformation of our wounds and sin to bring him the greater Glory.  God allows this darkness so that we can reach out for Him, who is pure light.  He does not give it to us to hurt us, but to make us into who we are called to.  This is the other aspect of this scripture that I see, Hope. Hope cannot be hidden from light.  Light illumines in the darkest places, and Hope brings about that image to me.  It may not change the way something is, but it may remind us that: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (Jn 1: 5)

I always get this image of an attic when I think of light in dark spaces.  The attic is usually a dark and scary place to go...the only way to see is to put the light on and sometimes you even need a flashlight.  What is up there are boxes and sometimes just junk...it looks scary in the dark because it cannot be distinguished, but when brought to the light it can be sifted through and sometimes things can be thrown out. Things that we kept for no other reason then that they were just comfortable to have around. Ultimately the light diminishes fear and anxiety and allows for the truth of the situation to be known in peace.

As we continue to bring light into our lives, or allow light to penetrate the darkness around  us and within us, Something begins to change...us!! Our light begins to shine before men and the person that we are with Him is more important then the person that we were without Him.  We are better able to bring Glory to God with our actions, or lack of actions; our words or no words at all. We begin to see that we are truly being a light to the world and allowing His glory to penetrate through our darkness.