What is a Prepper? The word is just finding its way into modern dictionaries. In today's society
with uncertainties of weather, natural or technological catastrophes,
economic collapse, and other emergencies or unanticipated urgencies,
a Prepper is one who chooses to be prepared for anything he may face.
He is not a survivalist in a derogatory, fanatic sense, but a
wise, responsible person who plans for the future. After all, “Be prepared!”
is the Boy Scout motto and a major theme throughout
Scripture. Who wouldn't want to be a Prepper?
In the Matthew 25 story of the wise
and foolish bridesmaids, it was a case of bringing along enough lamp
oil for the possible long haul. The wedding festivities might have depended on the lamplight of all ten of the bridesmaids' lamps. With only five lamps the illumination the host was counting on would have
been considerably diminished. Since early history oil lamps together
with candles were the only sources of lighting. That was also true in Jesus' day.
On the occasion of Saint Paul preaching until after midnight in Acts
20:8, the writer Luke noted, “...and there were many lamps in the
upper room where we were gathered together.” Probably everyone there had brought his own lamp. No one even fantasized
about what it might be like to flip a switch to bring light through
electrical current, or about battery power, fluorescent lighting, or
LED lighting. Diodes, semiconductors, voltage, electrons, and photons were far in the future.
In certain less modern societies oil
lamp light is still used because it is safer and brighter than candle
light. In our society the purchase of oil lamps is still brisk for
emergency lighting in case of a power outage, to light up primitive
situations, and for romantic ambiance and a cozy atmosphere. The
shape of oil lamps has changed little—a clear glass or metal base for the
oil and a wick connecting the oil with the flame which is covered by
a glass chimney.
After Googling oil lamps for more
information I became a bit wiser about their operation. The glass chimney can
get cloudy with smoke and soot buildup which cuts back the light
output and so must be kept clean. Trimming of the wick after burning
and the shape of the wick affects the type of flame and the
brightness. Any kind of oil may be burned; stale oil or even used
cooking oil will work, but pure paraffin oil gives the brightest
light and no stink. The Preppy girls likely used olive oil and
carried extra in a flask. A temporary inconvenience but it gave them
the entrance ticket when the Bridegroom's procession finally arrived.
As Christians we are reenacting in
Advent our waiting for our Savior's first coming as a babe in the
humility of a borrowed manger. At the same time we are awaiting our
Bridegroom's appearance in glorious majesty at His second coming. He
may seem to be delaying and dark night is settling in around us as
the world seems to whirl in turmoil. Like the bridesmaids we get
drowsy and even fall asleep. Our lamps clouds up with the smoke and
soot of concern for the affairs of this life. We may even have a
telltale oil leak like the spotting of oil on a garage floor or
driveway from oil in our cars. But we must be wise. We can't afford
to use stale oil or run out of oil and be caught short at the
Bridegroom's sudden arrival.
Oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit in the
Scriptures and Christian teaching. We receive our initial anointing
of the Oil of the Holy Spirit at our baptism and it is normally meant
to escalate into a brighter flame at Confirmation. From that point on
I need to be constantly checking my oil, topping it off if it runs
low, trimming my wick, and cleaning my chimney from the cares of this
world.
My smart phone has a little feature
that flashes a signal “Refresh.” I simply touch the screen to
invite new email messages to come instantly and almost magically into
my cell phone through cyberspace. In real life it takes
intentionality, deliberate action, to keep spiritually refreshed. I
am reminded to “keep being filled with the Holy Spirit”
(Ephesians 5:18). I must seek first the Kingdom of God and His
righteousness. (Matthew 6:33) It takes habitual attention, an
unhurried, contemplative slice of my time. I must be continually
anointed with fresh oil which is the oil of joy. (Psalm 45:7a and
92:10b) My head must be anointed with oil. (Psalm 23:5b) My head, my
intellect, needs the Oil as well as my heart, my emotions; my
cluttered mind is troubled with many things of this material world
and my own busyness against which Jesus' warned His friend Martha.
If I am so foolish as to let my lamp
run out of Oil and stop shining God's Light, others will not be able
to see in their darkness and are likely to stumble or lose their way.
God has provided Oil so abundantly that I may not only be filled with
His Holy Spirit but that I overflow. He is counting on me to be a
Prepper and poke holes in the darkness of the culture around me by
setting my lamp on a lampstand for the maximum dispersion of Jesus'
Light wherever He has placed me in life.
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