"You are the light of the world. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:14-16).
 

Question:

I am feeling so alone. My boyfriend is having a drinking problem and is pushing me away. I am having surgery at the end of the month and he tells me that he cannot be there for me. I was there for him when his father passed away and now he refuses to be with me. I ask myself why all this is happening to me. We were so happy together and in love now it’s like we don't know each other. I don't want to lose my faith but it is so hard when everything you ever loved is taken from underneath you.

Comment:

Whenever I find my faith shaken by the pain and confusion of living this human existence, I unfailingly turn to the Sermon on the Mount, Chapters 5 through 7 of the Gospel of Matthew. It contains the very essence of the message of love and personal empowerment that Jesus shared throughout his ministry.   The earliest followers of Jesus were not members of the educated or upper classes in his society. They were fishermen, farmers, laborers and spiritual outcasts—people whose work, behavior or inability to tithe to the Temple kept them outside the circle of those considered religiously acceptable. They were variously resigned to being considered unimportant at best, unacceptable at worst.   Jesus' basic message to these people is found in verse 14: "You are the light of the world." Certainly no one had ever told them such a thing before—even John the Baptist had seen them first and foremost as sinners who needed to repent. The great gift of Jesus' Christ awareness is that he saw people as they truly are—whole and perfect expressions of divine Light. And he was able to translate that insight into practical, pragmatic terms everyone could understand.   If he had tried to explain the universal spiritual truth behind his statement, they would not have understood, and they would not have believed in their own light. But they could easily understand the absurdity of lighting a lamp and then covering it over so it couldn't be seen. The light would be totally wasted—and none of the followers could afford to waste anything, especially something as precious as a source of light in their homes.   All these years later, I think the challenge with this passage is to grasp the truth that Jesus meant what he said. Each of us is the light of the world—we are each an expression of the divine Light we call God, the Source of all life and all love. Our limited human natures are like the bushel basket—coverings that allow us to hide the Light within so completely that we ourselves forget it's there. We're not here in human form to ignore the Light, or to hide it so that no one else can see it. We're here to be the Light—to let it shine everywhere, affirming the spiritual Presence and Power that is the energy of everything. It's only by letting our own light shine that we can encourage others to uncover their own inner Light and join us in the spiritual work of creating a new consciousness.   You cannot “solve” your boyfriend's problem with alcohol; you cannot change him into the person you want him to be—or the person you know he could be. You can “be” the light, and let that light of love and centered acceptance shine. And then you can trust completely that in that light you are whole and healed, and guided always to your highest good.   Blessings!

Rev. Ed

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