Can You Hide?

A piece of scripture reminded me this picture I took recently on Lookout Mountain in Tennessee. The big beautiful house on the top of the hill/mountain overlooking the city. You couldn't miss it if you were on the ground, or viewing it as we were from another bluff. It just stood out!

Perhaps you've read Matthew 5:14 where it reads (in ESV) "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden"

What struck me was not the overall concept so much as one word: "cannot". It does not read, "should not", it reads "cannot". If we are to be the city on a hill, we are unable to be hidden. In our church, our workplace, our home, the neighborhood store, or simply walking down the street talking to neighbors. Perhaps they might not be able to place what it is exactly that is different, but we "will" stand out if we are the city on a hill. It is what we are called to do.

The thought most definitely convicted me, as I need to be leading a life that stands out so much, it simply can't be hidden. I was listening to Francis Chan speak one time to a couple on an upcoming mission trip where it was stated (I believe by one of the other pastors at the church) that "we should live our lives in a way that demands explanation". We should be so different that people need to know what's going on. We simply wouldn't be able to hide it ...