In days to come the
mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the
mountains, and shall be raised up above the hills.
Peoples shall stream to it, and many nations shall come and say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.’
Micah 4:1-2a
In the pitch black darkness of a Nigerian evening the students of the secondary school, bush-lamp in hand, make their way to their classroom for evening study. The bush-lamp is their only source of light, which is sometimes lessened when a rogue breeze causes that light to be diminished by the imprint of soot upon the globe. With joyful spirit I too continue on my way, gradually rising higher and higher on the mountain of the Lord.
I myself am a fragile vessel, carrying within myself my own bush-lamp, the very Light of light. My sole function is to so live that the people of God may see, not me, but the way of the Lord of Lords and that my self-centeredness may not so cloud this vessel, this lamp, that this glory of the Lord is partially hidden. Together we continue on our way, “He must increase – I must decrease.” I am only a vessel but what a privilege it is to bring the Light, the Word into the midst of his people. This Light goes before us as a flaming torch; the God-head, leading by example, lying in an animal feed box. We are invited to follow this Leader, gentle and strong, by a reversal of our stance to let this Light shine on our neighbor and so reveal hidden treasures in the others.
Dear Lord Jesus, help us to be aware of so many of our brothers and sisters who are traveling with us on this planet, and who are suffering greatly. Help us to walk in your pathway of compassion. Amen.
Sister Nell Carbin is a member of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, and resides at The Hearth at Drexel.
Peoples shall stream to it, and many nations shall come and say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.’
Micah 4:1-2a
In the pitch black darkness of a Nigerian evening the students of the secondary school, bush-lamp in hand, make their way to their classroom for evening study. The bush-lamp is their only source of light, which is sometimes lessened when a rogue breeze causes that light to be diminished by the imprint of soot upon the globe. With joyful spirit I too continue on my way, gradually rising higher and higher on the mountain of the Lord.
I myself am a fragile vessel, carrying within myself my own bush-lamp, the very Light of light. My sole function is to so live that the people of God may see, not me, but the way of the Lord of Lords and that my self-centeredness may not so cloud this vessel, this lamp, that this glory of the Lord is partially hidden. Together we continue on our way, “He must increase – I must decrease.” I am only a vessel but what a privilege it is to bring the Light, the Word into the midst of his people. This Light goes before us as a flaming torch; the God-head, leading by example, lying in an animal feed box. We are invited to follow this Leader, gentle and strong, by a reversal of our stance to let this Light shine on our neighbor and so reveal hidden treasures in the others.
Dear Lord Jesus, help us to be aware of so many of our brothers and sisters who are traveling with us on this planet, and who are suffering greatly. Help us to walk in your pathway of compassion. Amen.
Sister Nell Carbin is a member of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, and resides at The Hearth at Drexel.
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