Secret Lives
Nothing is secret anymore.
It seems that a day doesn't go by without someone revealing some deep dark secret that threatens our security, our freedom, our way of life, or just embarrasses the hell out of us.
We keep secrets for a reason. We don't want people to find out about them. Is it possible to live your life without keeping any secrets?
He said to them, 'Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed, and not on the lampstand? For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light.' - Mark 4:21-22
In today's reading, Jesus tells his disciples that nothing can be kept hidden that will not be revealed.
When I was young, I felt fairly anonymous. I went to a high school that had thousands of students attending, and though I made my rounds through a variety of classes, I probably really got to know just a few dozen kids, and of those, only a few really well.
I had no public profile, no Facebook account or Internet presence. There was no Internet and no Facebook back then. If our parents wanted to check in on us during the day, they had to call the school or drive down and look for us.
We were not connected to the world. We were living secret lives, known only to us and few very close friends and family.
It seems ironic that in this modern world, we can be so trusting of the same technology that tracks our every movement, catalogues our interests and tags us wherever we go and whatever we do.
It is now almost impossible to keep secrets, and yet we can manage to convince ourselves that we are as anonymous as I was as a child.
On the positive side, it has never been so easy to share the good news of what we do. We don't need a large audience to have an impact, and we can influence change in remote places without even being aware of the fact.
As Jesus predicted, our lights can shine brightly and be seen by many.
So, what do we do with those lights? Where do we shine and where do we shine the light for others to see?
One thing I notice each day when I post this reflection is that many of the people I follow on social media share positive messages of love, hope, faith, truth and beauty. Thank God for that!
The last thing I need to face in the morning is more misery and anger. That would mess up my day.
So, the lesson I wish to take away form today's reading is a positive one. Why be anonymous? Why not share the light and make someone else's day a little brighter?
We know our lives are no longer secret, so let the love light shine and share the beauty each day. Are you with me?
More to come...
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