Let it Shine

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden." - Matthew 5:14


We've all heard that before. And most of us know what it means. It means that a city on top of a hill has a light that can be seen for miles. No matter how hard you try to hide it, you can't. Even the darkest night cannot hide the light from that city.

But there's another way to think about a city on a hill. When you are that high up, you can also see for miles around you. You can see way better from there than from the bottom of a hill.

Well, about three weeks ago, I got to experience that first hand. I was sitting in a city at the top of a mountain. From where I sat, I could see the city of Kingston, Jamaica miles below. As it was every night that week, the view was beautiful. At first, a few rows of lights came on. The further the sun sank behind the mountains, the more the city below lit up. As I looked at that beautiful view, I noticed something.

It always happens in movies. One light in the house comes on, and a few seconds later, every other light in the house follows. Or one house lights up, and the next thing you know, the whole neighborhood is lit up. Something I know I have never thought about is that there's only one way for an audience of a movie to know those lights are on. The windows can't be covered. They have to be open for the light to be seen.

That is the job we as Christians have. There is a Light in our life that shines brighter than anything else in the world. It shines even brighter than the sun. It eliminates any trace of darkness. It wipes away pain, sorrow and suffering. The Light exposes sin so that it can be washed away. The Light shines down, illuminating the path we should take. This Light can do the same for anyone who will turn it on in their own lives.

Yet so many Christians try to hide it. I know I have. Yes, most people who know me know that I'm a Christian. They know I go to church. Most of my friends know that I really like my church and my campus ministry. They know I absolutely love Jesus. And if they know me well enough, they probably know that I could suggest a church or two in LA, Houston, Sydney, London, NYC, Branson, Fort Worth and even New Orleans. (Mind you, I've only been to two of those cities, and only been to church in one of them.) But I've still tried to hide that Light.

You see. I'm a journalism student. At what is probably the best journalism school in the world (without bias; if I was going to be biased, I'd say it is for sure the best). Journalists are supposed to remain objective. Journalists are supposed to report without bias. So I tried to keep my faith out of anything related to my classes in the School of Journalism (which was just flat out dumb since my faith is the entire reason I'm in the j-school). The thing is, my beliefs are the central part of who I am. Saying they don't effect my writing would be a flat out lie. And I've realized in the last few months, that no matter how hard I try, I can't do that. For one, I can't hide who I am, especially now that I am truly in love with my Creator. And for another, trying to pretend that my faith won't affect my writing would not be transparent (something else a journalist is supposed to be).

But if I quit trying to hide it, if I let the Light shine out of me.

The results are good. No, they're so amazing that only God can really understand how good they are.

You see. When people accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, it is like they flip a light switch in their lives. They can see much more clearly where they need to go. They can see anything that might hurt them and avoid it. And they can see the things and the people that will help them get where they need to go. But people around them still can't see.

That's why they need to open the window. That's why they need to share the Light in their lives. Of course, for the people on the outside, it's not quite as bright as it is inside yet. There are still shadows because the Source of Light in not in their lives yet. But they can see well enough to find that Source, to flip the light switch in their own lives. Sure, they might still trip over some things hiding in the shadows, but they'll get there eventually. They'll find the Source, flip the switch and all shadows in their lives will be gone.

Here's where it gets really good. When they do that, the Light will reach farther than it did with only one person's light shining. Even more people will be able to find their way to the Source of light and accept Him. It starts an irreversible trend.

That's what our lives should look like. That's what I'm working on making mine look like (even in the j-school). It's hard. I'll be honest. For me, it requires reversing a pattern I've been stuck in since my freshman year in high school of people knowing I'm a Christian but not knowing any more than that. It takes work. It requires letting the Light infiltrate every tiny bit of your life. Then letting the Light lead you to the window so you can look out and see a hurting world that needs the Light you have. Then choosing to share the Light.

We are that city on a hill. Because so many people can see the Light in us, that many more people are able to find the Source of light in their own lives. It's not just that people can see the Light in us no matter what. It's that our Light really cannot be hidden. If it is, other people will remain in darkness.

But here's the really cool part.

When we are that city on a hill, we get more than just the visibility. We get the view. We get to watch as the Light we let shine out of our lives affects the people we touch. We get to watch as first one light, then another, then another, then another... We get to watch as all those lights come on.

And the view is breathtaking.