This little light of mine

THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE

Shirley Harrington reflects on how we can keep our light shining in the darkness

The other day the following words came into my mind:
‘All I ask of you is that you maintain your mental, spiritual and physical health by discipline and care.
In doing this you maintain the light in the lighthouse.
As you trim the wick and replenish the oil; clean the windows and maintain the stairs.
This is no small occupation.
For a lighthouse is stationary, in one place.
A reliable help to all who need it, both good and bad.
Grateful and Ungrateful.
But remember, it is I, your Lord, who am the actual light.’

I had a good think about these words. Of the lighthouse as a symbol of Christian witness. Certainly before the advent of satellite navigational aids, lighthouses were vital to mariners; To stand tall and be clearly visible for pilots to take their bearings, and to also send out warnings against dangerous hazards and weather conditions by sounding bells or foghorns. Lighthouse keeping was, and in some places still is, a fulltime job, needing constant vigilance, the ability to abide isolation and withstand the extremes of weather in an edifice built on rock-solid foundations.

But who am I to be ‘a light to the nations’? I take heart from Jesus choosing to socialise with sinners. Even after they had been commissioned and filled by the Holy Spirit and sent to evangelise, the Apostles went on being sinners and struggling with their faults (Romans 8:18). Yet for the people we meet in our lives, we may be the nearest they will ever get to Jesus and his teaching. The conversation on the bus or a kindly or public spirited act may be doing God’s work without us knowing. For instance, I remember a neighbour appearing at my door in tears one morning saying “You go to church. How do you go to confession nowadays?” I had no idea that people even noticed me going past their windows. I was going for my own spiritual needs. But it brought home to me, the effect we can have on each other. We teach by our actions.

Being in the world and not of it is a balancing act. On one hand we are part of our neighbourhood and follow the same activities as anyone else. But on the other we may have to stand out from the rest and risk disapproval, scorn or suspicion by refusing to go against conscience. At those times I have felt I was sticking out like a sore thumb rather than standing as a lighthouse! Thank God we do not usually have to go prison or worse for our beliefs but I always pray and write letters of support for those who do.

Maintain the Light

How do I maintain the light? It is not a one-off thing but a steady lifelong work of stripping away all false masks, and recognising and working to eliminate my own habitual sins in order to humbly approach the Christ who dwells in my deepest core of truth. This can be broken down as follows:

Clean the Windows - I think I must be my own censor. Psychologists tell us that whatever we perceive is forever stored in the memory even if it cannot be consciously remembered. Thus, if I have taken in anything violent, pornographic and so on, it becomes part of me. Therefore I have to be careful what I let into my mind. Cleaning the windows from the inside lets the light shine unclouded by wrong or lazy thinking, bigotry or the smoke of hidden anger. Cleaning the outside is like keeping a weather eye open for whatever is contrary to the Gospel and likely to work insidiously on my opinions and actions.

Replenish the Oil - I have to seek spiritual nourishment from reading, thinking, meditating and joining Retreats, Days of Renewal and so on. Most of all I need constant contact with Jesus through the sacraments.

Trim the Wick - The wick is in deep touch with the oil, the inner nourishment which feeds the flame. This means cutting off all the old dead burnt-out attitudes which block God’s love getting through. It means, very importantly, as Jesus stressed again and again, forgiveness. Psychologists tell us that for people who have been deeply hurt, forgiveness, when approached in the right manner and freely given can be of more benefit to the victim than the offender. It does not mean accepting continued abuse or reconciliation with the offender, but it does reduce anger, anxiety and depression whilst raising self-esteem and hope. When praying with people for healing of memories I have observed how someone letting another ‘off the hook’ appears sometimes to release former blockages in their life and relationships.

Maintain the Stairs - If I want to live as God wants, I must accept to stay as healthy as possible in order to be a fit person. This means eating properly (oh dear), exercising sensibly and not ’keeping fit’ as a form of vanity or obsession. Stop smoking and only “a little wine for thy stomach’s sake“ as Paul advised (1.Timothy 5:23). Mentally I must ‘stay awake’ and read the signs of the times as Jesus instructed. I need to fill my mind with “everything that is good and everything that is lovely”(Phil 4:8), by reading spiritual books and enjoying what is good and meaningful in the Arts. I think ‘the stairs’ also means accessibility. I can’t cut myself off by retreating into my lighthouse. I have to get down there and open the door to others and be willing to be seen, mistakes and all, because I fail all the time and even families are not immune from difficulties and contention (Luke 12:51).

So, this little light of mine, I’ve got to let it shine. I’m no theologian and my light may be a mere flicker but light spreads out in the darkness and travels a long way and it’s my job to keep it burning and visible however small. Who knows what weary and endangered traveller might someday be helped by a tiny beacon showing the way?

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Shirley Harrington

The other day the following words came into my mind: ‘All I ask of you is that you maintain your mental, spiritual and physical health by discipline and care. In doing this you maintain the light in the lighthouse. As you trim the wick and replenish the oil; clean the windows and maintain the stairs. This is no small occupation. For a lighthouse is stationary, in one place. A reliable help to all who need it, both good and bad. Grateful and Ungrateful. But remember, it is I, your Lord, who am the actual light.’ I had a good think about these words. Of the lighthouse as a symbol of Christian witness. Certainly before the advent of satellite navigational aids, lighthouses were vital to mariners; To stand tall and be clearly visible for pilots to take their bearings, and to also send out warnings against dangerous hazards and weather conditions by sounding bells or foghorns. Lighthouse keeping was, and in some places still is, a fulltime job, needing constant vigilance, the ability to abide isolation and withstand the extremes of weather in an edifice built on rock-solid foundations. But who am I to be ‘a light to the nations’? I take heart from Jesus choosing to socialise with sinners. Even after they had been commissioned and filled by the Holy Spirit and sent to evangelise, the Apostles went on being sinners and struggling with their faults (Romans 8:18). Yet for the people we meet in our lives, we may be the nearest they will ever get to Jesus and his teaching. The conversation on the bus or a kindly or public spirited act may be doing God’s work without us knowing. For instance, I remember a neighbour appearing at my door in tears one morning saying “You go to church. How do you go to confession nowadays?” I had no idea that people even noticed me going past their windows. I was going for my own spiritual needs. But it brought home to me, the effect we can have on each other. We teach by our actions. Being in the world and not of it is a balancing act. On one hand we are part of our neighbourhood and follow the same activities as anyone else. But on the other we may have to stand out from the rest and risk disapproval, scorn or suspicion by refusing to go against conscience. At those times I have felt I was sticking out like a sore thumb rather than standing as a lighthouse! Thank God we do not usually have to go prison or worse for our beliefs but I always pray and write letters of support for those who do. Maintain the Light How do I maintain the light? It is not a one-off thing but a steady lifelong work of stripping away all false masks, and recognising and working to eliminate my own habitual sins in order to humbly approach the Christ who dwells in my deepest core of truth. This can be broken down as follows: Clean the Windows - I think I must be my own censor. Psychologists tell us that whatever we perceive is forever stored in the memory even if it cannot be consciously remembered. Thus, if I have taken in anything violent, pornographic and so on, it becomes part of me. Therefore I have to be careful what I let into my mind. Cleaning the windows from the inside lets the light shine unclouded by wrong or lazy thinking, bigotry or the smoke of hidden anger. Cleaning the outside is like keeping a weather eye open for whatever is contrary to the Gospel and likely to work insidiously on my opinions and actions. Replenish the Oil - I have to seek spiritual nourishment from reading, thinking, meditating and joining Retreats, Days of Renewal and so on. Most of all I need constant contact with Jesus through the sacraments. Trim the Wick - The wick is in deep touch with the oil, the inner nourishment which feeds the flame. This means cutting off all the old dead burnt-out attitudes which block God’s love getting through. It means, very importantly, as Jesus stressed again and again, forgiveness. Psychologists tell us that for people who have been deeply hurt, forgiveness, when approached in the right manner and freely given can be of more benefit to the victim than the offender. It does not mean accepting continued abuse or reconciliation with the offender, but it does reduce anger, anxiety and depression whilst raising self-esteem and hope. When praying with people for healing of memories I have observed how someone letting another ‘off the hook’ appears sometimes to release former blockages in their life and relationships. Maintain the Stairs - If I want to live as God wants, I must accept to stay as healthy as possible in order to be a fit person. This means eating properly (oh dear), exercising sensibly and not ’keeping fit’ as a form of vanity or obsession. Stop smoking and only “a little wine for thy stomach’s sake“ as Paul advised (1.Timothy 5:23). Mentally I must ‘stay awake’ and read the signs of the times as Jesus instructed. I need to fill my mind with “everything that is good and everything that is lovely”(Phil 4:8), by reading spiritual books and enjoying what is good and meaningful in the Arts. I think ‘the stairs’ also means accessibility. I can’t cut myself off by retreating into my lighthouse. I have to get down there and open the door to others and be willing to be seen, mistakes and all, because I fail all the time and even families are not immune from difficulties and contention (Luke 12:51). So, this little light of mine, I’ve got to let it shine. I’m no theologian and my light may be a mere flicker but light spreads out in the darkness and travels a long way and it’s my job to keep it burning and visible however small. Who knows what weary and endangered traveller might someday be helped by a tiny beacon showing the way? << Top Home >>		Shirley Harrington