Putting the light on the lampstand

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Today’s gospel from Mark 4:21-25 reminds me of the many evenings spent in villages around the province of Ba where I was assistant priest in the late 70s. Some villages did not have electricity and relied on hurricane or kerosene lamps to light up their houses at night. As we sat on the floor around the tanoa (wooden bowl) drinking yaqona or kava, there would be a lamp on a table or more likely hanging by wire from a rafter in the roof. When the light began to fade, a young man would ask for my permission, as the special guest, to pump the lamp or fill it with oil. After pumping the lamp, he would then release the air and it would rekindle the oil-soaked wick and it would brighten up the room again. Sometimes, I would note that some people would retreat back into the shadows if they only wanted to listen and did not want to share their thoughts on the topic that was being discussed. These people would be very uncomfortable if they were asked for their opinion. They wanted to keep their thoughts secret.

 

This reminds me of what Jesus said about putting the lamp on a lampstand. As he said, “there is nothing hidden but it must be disclosed, nothing kept secret except to be brought to light.” No doubt his words speaks to those situations today where government agents wear masks for fear that they will be found out. Over the years I have experienced this type law enforcement in a number of countries I visited. It took the witness of courageous people who were willing to stand up to the military or government agents to expose the brutality that reigned in their land at that time. It can be dangerous to reach up and take down a fading lamp and set it alight again. Let us ask for the courage of those who risk their lives to expose those who assault and imprison people without any recourse to due process.