Stop Hiding the Fire

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says: “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.” That means that if we have been baptized into Christ, if His Spirit lives within us, then our lives are meant to make a difference. Salt changes whatever it touches. Light changes whatever it enters. The question is not whether we are salt and light. The question is: Why do we spend so much time hiding it? Think about it.

Most of us are not tempted to deny Christ out openly. Most of us are tempted to make Him invisible. We stay silent when we should speak. We blend in when we should stand out. We hide our faith because we do not want to be awkward, judged, or misunderstood. We dim the light. And little by little, we become comfortable Christians who are close enough to Jesus to feel religious, but not close enough to Him to be noticeable. Jesus says that a lamp is not lit and then placed under a basket. That would be ridiculous. The whole purpose of a lamp is to shine. The whole purpose of a Christian is to reveal Christ.

Today the Church celebrates St. Ephrem, a deacon and Doctor of the Church. Ephrem did not have political power. He was not a bishop. He was not famous in the way the world defines fame. But he allowed God’s light to shine through his words, his hymns, his teaching, and his holiness. Nearly seventeen centuries later, the Church still listens to his voice. Why? Because light travels farther than we think. A kind word. A prayer offered for someone. A decision to forgive. A quiet act of charity. We often underestimate what God can do through simple faithfulness.

So here is the challenge of today’s Gospel: Jesus never asks us to create the light. He asks us not to hide it. The fire already belongs to Him. The light already comes from Him. Our task is simply to remove whatever basket we have placed over it.

Maybe the basket is fear. Maybe it is comfort. Maybe it is the desire to fit in. Maybe it is the belief that our witness does not matter. But imagine what would happen if every Christian stopped hiding the fire. Imagine if every baptized person walked into their workplace, school, parish, and home carrying the light of Christ without apology.

The world does not need more successful Christians. The world needs visible Christians. Not perfect Christians. Visible Christians. Because people cannot follow a light they never see.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive me for the times I have hidden my faith out of fear or comfort. Remove whatever covers the light You have placed within me. Give me the courage to shine with humility, love, and truth. May my words, actions, and choices help others see not me, but You. And like St. Ephrem, may my life become a reflection of Your light in a world that longs for hope. Amen.

– Homily by Rev Fr Patrick Agbeko