Lamps

So some had extra oil for their lamps and others didn’t.

Some leaders were really bothered by this.  They were bothered not only because anyone had a lamp, but also because they were waiting at all, lamps or not.  So these leaders came in and took all the fuel for the lamps because, they said, the lamps were dangerous.

And in other places, the leaders came and tried to push the lamps out. They tried to remove the lamps because they, all of a sudden, and after rarely, if ever, doing it before, needed to do a thorough cleaning of the places the lamps lit.

They also decided to pass rules to make it difficult for anyone who wanted to own, possess, or light a lamp.   They made rules that no one could keep their lamps trimmed and burning past a particular hour.

In some cases, they violently broke the lamps. 

But for every obstacle meant to dim, snuff out, or destroy the lamps, the lamps burned brighter. And more lamps appeared and burned still brighter

The lamps simply couldn’t be removed or extinguished.

The lamps were, are, and will continue to be trimmed and burning.

Lamps.

Here's a "Blues in Black and White" version of the spiritual, "Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning" - recorded  a few years ago in a storage garage.