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| On a dark evening, even a little light makes a big difference. |
In my last
post, I wrote about the indispensable, universal importance of salt for
everyday life. We should consider light as well, very different from salt but also
vital to life in all its forms – and similarly endowed with unique properties.
Among these
are calorific (producing heat), actinic (serving as a catalyst for chemical
reactions), and luminiferous (transmitting and yielding light). Whenever we
walk around on a very cloudy, wintry day, or attempt to find our way around an
unfamiliar room enshrouded in darkness, we realize the folly of underestimating
the necessity of light.
We even
talk about “seeing the light,” being able to comprehend or appreciate a truth,
principle or insight previously hidden from our understanding. We talk admiringly
about certain people with the capability of “lighting up a room” by their
presence and personality. When people get attention, we say they’re in the
spotlight, and if they gain fame, they’re in the “limelight.” (Does anyone ever
get into the lemon-light? Probably wouldn’t be a good thing.)
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| From the start, God declared light to be good. |
Studying
the Bible, light is clearly a central theme. In recounting God’s creation, it records
His first spoken words: “And God said, ‘Let
there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he
separated the light from the darkness” (Genesis 1:3-4).
During His
earthly ministry, Jesus Christ never made light of light. Immediately after
telling His followers, “You are the salt
of the earth…,” He added, “You are
the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-14). In addition to functioning much
like salt in their spheres of influence, Jesus’ disciples were admonished to serve
as light to dispel the darkness.
Jesus didn’t
stop at informing His hearers they were, “the light of the world.” He described
Himself in a similar way: “I am the light
of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in
darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). In telling His hearers that
they, too, were to serve as the light of the world, Jesus was directing them to
carry His light to dispel the darkness in the world around them.
Twice the Scriptures give
us this analogy: Daniel 12:3 declares, “Those
who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead
many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” And Philippians 2:15 warns against needless
complaining or arguing, “so that you may
become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and
crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.”
Nowhere, however, does God
command us to generate light on our own; our calling is to reflect the light of
Christ. In effect, we’re to be more like the moon, which possesses no light of
its own, but reflects the brilliant rays of the sun, illuminating otherwise
dark nights.
One would think that light
is always desirable, unless you’re wanting a good night’s sleep, in which case
a darkened room is often helpful. But as the Bible points out, there are those
whose preference is to remain in the dark. Isaiah 5:20 declares, “Woe to those who call evil good and good
evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for
sweet and sweet for bitter.”
Why anyone would choose
darkness over light confounds most of us, but we see the reality of this every day.
All we need to do is watch the news, skim through much of today’s TV
programming, or observe what’s happening in our communities. Light may be hard for
some, especially if they’ve been in the dark too long – its glare can be almost
blinding. As a consequence, darkness seems the environment of choice for many.
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