Having been born and raised in the mountainous jungles of South America, I loved exploring and discovering all the hidden birds, animals, streams, plants, trails, and I even found a quartz vein of gold down in a bend in the river where the rock cliff was exposed. It was all my secret world that only I knew. I only shared this treasured world of mine with special friends I could trust. One day some men showed up at our house and talked with my dad and told him they had discovered this vein of quartz that contained gold and a lot of copper. They took my dad and I down to river where my vein of quartz gold was. I listened in horror as they described how they were going to mine the vein higher up on the mountain side where it was easier to get at. I was sad because my secret was soon going to be blown up as they started drilling and blasting the mountain side installing a mine shaft.
Jesus made some strange statements that bothered me for decades. I remember reading them as a child and thinking; “That is weird, why would anyone do that or even want to do that? Certainly not me.” In Matthew 5 Jesus is talking to His followers and says; “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
When I grew up, (notice I didn’t say matured), I looked for places to build my kingdom where it could be on a hill or mountain and I could see out, but no one could see in or have access except for those I let in to my private world. And I found those places and then they kept getting discovered and blown up. I am currently watching those around me “escaping to Lostaeriaglen, where only their like minded friends live.”
As God gave me a new heart and His Holy Spirit became my Guide, It has become very clear to me that I am to be a beacon of light set on a hill for all to see and to have hope and a reference point. I am not to scramble for the jungles where no one can see or find me. Jerusalem is referred to over the ages as the city set on a hill that is a beacon of hope to the world. I have lighthouses wall paper on my utility bathroom walls. I should have seen this decades ago. However, the darker the night around me; the more need there is for me to be that light set on a hill for all to see!!
Perhaps I have matured to be a “parent” and “elder” who cares for the well-being of all those around me.
