Matthew 5:14-16 : “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (ESV)
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Late one night in August 2020, a medivac airplane tried to land in the remote town of Igiugig, Alaska to transport a sick child in to a hospital in Anchorage. But when they prepared for the plane to land, all of the runway lights had been vandalized and broken. When the villagers heard the plane circling at nearly midnight, they knew something was wrong. A few residents drove to the small airport to see if they could use their car headlights to light the runway, but the pilot needed more light. They called everyone in the town to bring their ATV’s, cars, SUV’s, and trucks to the small airport. Several dozen residents rose from the comfort of their beds to park their vehicles along the runway to light the pilot’s way so he could land safely. The vehicles stayed until the child was onboard and the plane took off safely.
In the beginning, God created the sun to rule the day, the moon to rule the night, and the stars for signs and for seasons; each giving light on the earth and separating the light from the darkness. (Genesis 1) With so many man-made lights all around us, we may forget that the world is naturally in darkness half of the time; between sunset and sunrise. Battling the darkness is an ongoing battle. In our fallen and sinful world, man-made lights can be extinguished by sinful vandalism or the inescapable decay causing everything to wear out. Scripture uses the contrast of light and darkness to distinguish the Kingdom of Heaven from all who sinfully rebel against God. Jesus’ incarnation is described as the light shining in the darkness. (John 1, Matthew 4) Hell is compared to being cast into the outer darkness. (Matthew 8) When Jesus appeared to Saul/Paul, He told him to go to the Gentile and proclaim the Gospel which will open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. (Acts 26).
As we experience physical darkness each night, we should remember that the spiritual darkness in this world is even more pervasive and dangerous. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus talks about the light of a community of believers shining before others and glorifying God. (Matthew 5) It might seem that whatever we do could not make a difference against the overwhelming power and diverse forces of evil all around us. Yet together our faithful Christian witness and proclamation of the Gospel honors God and shows others the way to salvation. We must not forget that the lives of others hang in the balance. And we are commanded to reflect the character of Christ even when it’s inconvenient or risky. Our God-given light is wasted if we keep it to ourselves. Other’s may shine brighter or more significantly, but God has placed each of us in a certain time and place among certain people to shine in a way that no one else can. May each of us and all of us proclaim, “this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine” and “let it shine til Jesus comes.”