A Light on the Hill

Daily Lectionary Reading, Mark 4: 21-34, Book of Common Worship 

21He said to them, "Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed, and not on the lampstand? 22For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light.23Let anyone with ears to hear listen!" 24And he said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. 25For to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away."

Our congregation is launching it's second capital campaign in just over ten years.  The campaign theme

seemed to just emerge as conversations about needs and wants continued within the the congregational leadership, 

A Light on the Hill.  

Reflecting on today's daily lectionary text from the Book of Common Worship I am reminded of the true position that 

light holds in our lives, not hidden beneath the surface, not falsely illuminated through our good deeds or self-

righteous acts, but above all of those things light gently rises to the top for all to see.  Of course, we struggle, 

constantly, with allowing the light, in it's true form, to shine boldly atop our egos, to display the inner splendor of our 

souls- instead, battling to put forth our very best, to reveal only the beautiful, the pleasantries of our lives, contrived 
as they may be, that expose us for more than we are.

Light has another form, though, doesn't it?  It plays a dueling role to the widow of the night. While the intensity of the 

moon's light is graceful and unassuming the main source of our light and heat come from the sun whose source  
is still somewhat a mystery.  Her warmth is far-reaching, her touch all-consuming, and what she presents on the 
outside is directly connected to the fabric of her insides.  This ball of light that gives life to so many each day- never 
sleeping in, never staying up too late...she knows who she is and unabashedly shares herself with the rest of us. 

I think we all have a little bit of this sunshine within ourselves; able to bring light to a world that needs life yet 

mysteriously fading away when darkness threatens our position. During this Lenten journey my hope is that I can let 

go of the charade, one day at at time, and live more fully exposed sharing the light from within, as a blade of 

grass standing tall as if lying down were not a choice. 

Grace and peace.