Matthew
5:15 “Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel” (KJV)
‘It
is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness (The Christophers)
Sometimes a piece of scripture
sticks in my head for some reason. It’s
usually something that is common, since I am hardly a biblical scholar. An example of that is the quote above from
Matthew’s gospel. More modern
translations use “bowl” or “basket” instead of bushel. For reference, a bushel is a basket about 18
inches diameter and 12 inches deep and holds about 56 pounds of grain, about eight gallons. If you put it over a lamp, it will completely
cover it and no light will be seen.
In 1952, there was a TV program
called “Christopher Closeup”. The
Christophers are a Catholic organization that put on a weekly program that
discussed Christianity. Their motto is
“It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.” While that sounds biblical, it is usually
describer as coming from a Chinese proverb.
I was curious about this organization and looked it up. It was founded in 1945 by Father James Keller
who was concerned that many people saw the world’s problems, complained about
them, and felt powerless to make a difference.
His philosophy was simple:
·
Don’t focus only on what is wrong.
·
Do something constructive, even if it seems
small
·
One person can influence many others
·
The media can be used for good as well as for
bad or harmful
I remember watching it many times
growing up. It went off of the air in 2012
after 60 years!
The news media has reported a
surge in the number of people going to or returning to the church and
professing their Christianity. Clearly,
there are many lamps of faith being lit.
And, like the quote above from Matthew’s gospel, they are doing so in
various visible ways.
How about you? What are you doing in your own life to be an
example of your faith in such a way that others may be attracted to you or are
curious enough to seek out a person such as a priest, minister, or lay leader,
or maybe you? Perhaps they attend a
service at some church and that leads them to God and his son.
In my retail job, I am seeing more
and more people who are very visibly wearing a cross necklace. Some of these crosses are plain and some are
ornate. These people are stating their
faith to everyone who sees them. Unfortunately,
there are also some people who hide any evidence of their beliefs. They say that their faith is private and
won’t do anything to show it.
The first group has taken the
basket off of their lamps. Light
attracts and their lamp is their declaration of faith. The second group keeps their lamp hidden or
even unlit. I am sure they meet people
who are asking or wondering about God and Jesus Christ and they will be
left searching. God will eventually lead them to someone who
is part of the first group.
Which group do you belong to? Do you meet people with your lamp shining
brightly or are you one whose lamp is dark and well hidden? Going back to the Christopher’s motto, it may
be that your candle will light the way of someone’s wish to know God.
Will you light it and keep it lit? God is depending on you to help him bring
more people to him. How can you refuse?
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