LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE

LET THE LIGHT SHINE

In St. Paul’s second letter to Timothy, (1:6-7) we see the depth of the love Paul had for his disciple.  There is a quality to the words that are reminiscent of those a father might say to a son.  Timothy was young, but Paul saw in him what God saw in Paul.  God knew that Paul had the strength of character and determination that would be necessary to spread the Gospel once he was convinced of it’s rightness.  Timothy apparently was shy and lacking the self-confidence of Paul and so Paul wrote vigorous encouragement.  He exhorts Timothy, “I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God… for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.”  It worked, since Timothy was eventually Bishop of Ephesus.

In Mark 4:21-25 Jesus says something along the same lines when he says, “ Is a lamp to be hidden under a bed or a basket and not on a lampstand?  He who has ears to ear ought to hear.”

Like all scripture, these words are meant for all of us.   It doesn’t matter what was going in Ephesus or Galilee when these words were spoken.  What matters is how they relate to our lives here and now.  Happily we don’t face persecution because of our faith, but we, like the early church are different, or at least, we are supposed to be.    The early Christians brought attention to themselves because they lived in a community tied together by their faith in Jesus. They eschewed any law or custom that discriminated against the poor, the widow and the lame.  They made whatever sacrifice was necessary to help them.  Imagine having to hide because you are helping the poor or sheltering a widow?  So strong was their faith in Jesus that they regarded persecution as an honor.  Instead of repelling people, their light of faith drew even more people. Soon the community was shockingly diverse with people of every background following Christ. 

The light of faith knows no race or color or ethnicity.  To believe in God; to trust in God is what gives the Christian the power and love and self-control needed to spread the message of the gospel.  The light from within us is the presence of the Holy Spirit and that cannot be quenched. We do have the power to let that light shine or to keep it hidden however.  We know what Jesus wants us to do, for he when said, “He who has ears to hear ought to hear” He was speaking directly to us.

Stir into flame that gift of God that dwells within you and let it shine for all to see.

Blessings,

Carol Lemelin, OPA