lighthouse

I’ve always liked lighthouses. At one time, I had a large collection of them. It grew so big because once people knew I collected them, that is all they bought me for a gift. A lady in my church collects hippos. Her husband says, “They are everywhere!” I let my lighthouses go when I thought I was going to move into an RV and travel as my retirement. In an RV, you can’t collect much of anything except perhaps stickers of where you have been.

I think I am drawn to lighthouses, like a bug at night, because of what they symbolize: light penetrating the darkness. There is a lot of darkness in our world these days, and there has been throughout time. Even when Jesus, the Light of the world, was born, times were dark.

Lighthouses have helped mariners for a long time find their way into safe harbors and away from dangerous rocks. As soon as you flick on a light switch, darkness diminishes. As an analogy in life, whenever I sense darkness, I start turning to Jesus.

As I sat in church last Sunday, while the minister was preaching, I turned my attention to the small Christmas trees decorated with white lights that were behind him. All of a sudden, the thought came into my head, “We celebrate light on a tree on both big celebrations in the Christian faith!” I had never heard that before, but it’s true. You see, Jesus, being Light, hung on a tree, the cross, when He was crucified.

1 ^1-5At the beginning God expressed himself. That personal expression, that word, was with God, and was God, and he existed with God from the beginning. All creation took place through him, and none took place without him. In him appeared life and this life was the light of mankind. The light still shines in the darkness and the darkness has never put it out. John 1:1-5 (Phillips)

If you are feeling as if your life is being swallowed up by darkness, then you need the Light! If you feel overwhelmed, down, or depressed because of the lack or absence of Light, then perhaps you should consider inviting Jesus into your life. Ask for forgiveness of your sins and then embrace the Light of the world. Immediately, sense his presence, his comfort, and feel hope.

Invite Jesus into every area of your life and allow him to dispel any darkness that may be trying to hide and remain. You don’t have to be afraid of the dark when Jesus is with you. Not sickness, disease, joblessness, financial hardship, homelessness, or even death. One of the best sermons I ever heard lasted about ten seconds. A street evangelist said, “I don’t care what’s going on in life. I would rather go through it with Jesus than without.”

Celebrate Christmas with lights, because that is when Light entered the world. Celebrate Easter, because that is when Jesus, the light of the world, proved He had power over darkness. And admire lighthouses because they’re a symbol of Him guiding you home safely.

On a small parcel of sand along the North Carolina coast sits an old, tall lighthouse. People in the area have found comfort for years in knowing that every night, the light was on.

“Remember, Son, you’re a keeper of the light. And the light must always be on to dispel the darkness so that those who are lost may find their way home.” “Yes, Father. I won’t forget.” “I’m serious. You’ll grow up. You’ll get busy. You will even have a girlfriend someday.” “No way! Not a girlfriend. Ewe! Yuk!” “And the light that is within you will slowly grow dim.”

As hard as he tried, little by little, the light that was within him grew faint but not totally extinguished. His father passed quickly due to cancer while he was in junior high, and his mother died while giving birth to him. After the funeral, he went to live with his aunt and uncle in New York City, the city that never sleeps. Life sped up, and he faced unforeseen challenges that he had never expected. He had never experienced such darkness before.

The son grew up. Graduated from high school and then college. That is where he met his wife. They married, and he landed a good-paying job as an investment banker in Manhattan. Three years later, they had a baby girl. He and his wife talked about going to church. Giving their young daughter the same upbringing they had with an introduction and education about God. But there didn’t seem to be enough time to live their busy lives and get a satisfactory amount of sleep.

As their custom, the now middle-aged man meets up with his buddy and coworker on the “Q” Line subway platform. They greet each other as they wait for their train. A young man approaches them and hands each a little booklet. “Jesus loves you,” he said to them. His buddy looked at the pamphlet and said, “Oh man, this is one of those Jesus tracks. I didn’t know anyone did this anymore.” He threw it down to the concrete. But as he looked at his, he noticed on the cover was a lighthouse with a beam of light going out. He felt something inside of him remember, “Keeper of the light.”

The words of his father came screaming back into his mind, into his soul. He knew at that moment that he needed to change how he was living. He knew he needed to be a spiritual leader in his home, to his buddy, and to the world. He realized he needed to help people who are spiritually lost find their way home.