Matthew 6:1-4, Matthew 5:14-16

David Hellyer

It seems to me that one of the things this summer will be remembered for is people challenging each other to dump buckets of ice over their head and calling one another out in nominations. It's been a time to show your Facebook friends whether you are up to the challenge of a public soaking or whether you'll just donate in private and step back from the prying eyes of others. Part of my job involves managing various social media accounts so it's been fascinating to watch the spread of the ice bucket challenge as one friendship group after another is nominated and in turn nominates others to take the plunge.

Much has been said by different people about the relative merits of dunking yourself with a bucket load of ice and which charities are worthy recipients of our monies. Should we be making a song and dance about our giving considering what is said in Matthew 6:1-4 or is it just a harmless way of encouraging people of all ages to take their eyes off themselves and focus on the needs of others? All of these are really good conversations to have, but not what I want to talk about today.

It got me thinking about times when we should be private and times when we should be public. Today we share more information than ever before - especially in the way we increasingly live out our lives online. We might post a picture on Instagram of a fancy meal out, or tweet a witty observation about a TV show we're watching. For a long time it has been known that our online identities can become carefully crafted images of what we wish we were like... almost like a better version of us. We can edit out our bad days and only post photos of when we're smiling. I'm a youth worker by trade and a couple of weeks ago one of my young people tried to explain to me the intricate process of taking the ultimate "selfie"; it took time, preparation but at its core it needed to look like an off-the-cuff snapshot of my day. She advised me to take a minimum of 20 photos to ensure I could select a good one!

This process of deliberately revealing parts of our lives and yet hiding other parts reminded me of the time Jesus is speaking in Matthew 5. He says that no-one would light a lamp only to hide it under a basket (or bucket?)... of course not! What a waste that would be! You light a lamp in order to light your house with it. Jesus is the light of the world that lives within us. He shines His light through us to others, but do we choose to let the light shine or do we self-censor in order to make ourselves more palatable to others?

Matthew 5:14-16 says, "You are the light of the world - like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."

Notice how it says that we are to be like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden - not a city on a hilltop that shouldn't be hidden. The light of Jesus is supposed to shine so brightly out of every part of our lives that there is no possible way it could be hidden!

The ice bucket challenge might be a trivial comparison to the powerful life of Jesus that flows out of us, but it is an interesting parallel in some ways. Lots of people felt that by doing something as silly as dunking ice on their head they were emboldened to speak up about a charity or cause that they wished to raise money for. As Christians we don't need a bucket of ice to embolden us, and surely we don't need a nomination via social media to tell the world the good news of Jesus. Yes there are some things in life it's best not to shout around (ironically charitable giving is one of them) but the new life found in Jesus is not a secret to be kept.

As we head into the autumn, as we start a brand new school year or fly the nest for University let's be sure to remember that we have a life changing Saviour who cares passionately about our friends and family and He has called us to be His hands and feet in this world today. Why not take the #LightBucketChallenge and take the bucket off your light and shine it brightly before your friends, family and co-workers so that they may have a chance of getting to know your Father in heaven!