Unhidden Lights

Do you let people know the good things you do?

Chances are you do, in one way or another, so the real question is how do you let them know?

No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:15-16

In today's reading from Matthew, Jesus seems to condone bragging, or at least he is in favor of letting others see us doing good things.

At the same time, he reprimands those who boast about their sacrifices, pray in public, show the world that they are fasting, and being downright self-righteous.

So which is it?

How do we shine our light in the world and not draw attention to ourselves in an ego-inflating way?

It might not seem possible without a metaphor and Jesus uses the lamp to give us a clue.

When we awaken from sleeping open our eyes, we can see.  The light from the sun makes its way through the window and allows us to see the furniture in our room.

We may not credit the sun for our ability to make our way to the bathroom,  but it helped us nonetheless. 

Now imagine dark clouds engulfing the sky.  We immediately feel the difference.   The air gets cooler.  The light dims.  We acknowledge the absence of the sun.  And when the clouds break we credit the sun for that as though the light was destroying the darkness.

So it is with us when the light we send out into the world is blocked.  People notice the loss.  

So perhaps that is the message here.  Be the light that others become so accustomed to that they long for it when it is gone.

If we all shine together,  no one will experience the darkness. 

More to come...