"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid." (Matt 5:14) We often like to complain about the evil that is overshadowing our world. We like to discuss the latest evil on the news: the latest massacre of innocent people, the latest earthquake or natural disaster that killed hundreds if not thousands of people, the latest sexual abuse perpetrated by men working under the belligerent influence of demonic powers, the latest political or social crises happening in the world, the latest decay in fashion and morality... The watch word being "complain". As long as all we do is complain, talk, discuss; evil will continue to abound. A wise man once said "For evil to abound is for good people to do nothing". And that is exactly what the devil wants us to do: nothing. We, Christians, are partly to blame for the increase of evil and darkness in our society and immediate environment. Jesus said, "You are the light of the world!" He didn't say we are the light of heaven because there is no darkness in heaven. The only place you need light is where there is darkness. And God knowing the darkness that is in the world lighted a certain amount of light in all of us so that as each of us shines from our little corner, collectively we will lighten the world..
But what do we do with the light in us? We do exactly what Jesus said should never be done. "Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a lampstand, and it gives light to everyone in the house." (v.15). We hide our light under the bushel. We also turn around and start competing with each other on whose light should shine brighter. Some fight so hard to quench other people's light believing it will make their own light shine brighter. Meanwhile, the world around us is being plunged deeper and deeper into thick darkness.
A word is enough for the wise.