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Mark 4: 21-25
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket
or under a bed,
and not to be placed on a lampstand?
For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible;
nothing is secret except to come to light.
Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.”
He also told them, “Take care what you hear.
The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you,
and still more will be given to you.
To the one who has, more will be given;
from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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A study from MIT found that, in pitch black, the human eye can detect a candle flame flickering from over a mile and a half away.
That small speck of light breaks through almost 9,000 feet of darkness.
Through the Holy Spirit, Christians can bring that same light to others.
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As Jesus says in today’s Gospel, we are like the flickering flame of a lamp placed on a lamp stand.
We must burn brightly, dispelling the darkness of ignorance, indifference, prejudice, or sin around us with love.
For example, a check-in phone call to a friend or a neighbor can break the darkness of isolation.
A sincere apology can expel a grudge.
A smile, a hug, a word of affirmation can brighten anyone’s day.
A hot meal from our soup kitchen can not only fill a stomach, but also warm hearts.
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Just as the eye longs for light, so the heart longs for love.
So, how might we dispel the darkness, spreading the light and love of Jesus Christ today?
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Image credits: (1) Pastor Unlikely (2) The Kildare (3) Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen