“Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.” (Matthew 5:15). A candle produces both light and also smoke and soot. If we were to hide a candle under a bushel, it would keep all of the light inside, but it would also keep all of the smoke and soot inside. If we burned enough candles under the bushel, then the inside of that bushel would start to get pretty black with all of the smoke and soot trapped inside. We can't live our lives trapped inside of a bushel. This applies not only to the light and warmth of our testimonies and the loving service that we provide, but also to the ashes and smoke and soot of our sins and mistakes and transgressions. When we live our whole lives openly, then we let our light shine and we also don't keep the darkness trapped inside where it will build up and burden our souls. If there are good things happening in our lives, then let us share them. If there are bad things happening in our lives, then let us share them. All candles produce smoke and soot. It's part of how they work. We don't need to hide in perpetual shame just because we have made mistakes. When we confess freely and openly, then we can move on from there and continue to let our light shine and we don't have to continue to cower under an increasingly blackened bushel. I hope that we will all become a little more comfortable with being out in the open and letting our light shine and our smoke waft upwards and not try to keep either the light or the darkness trapped inside.
