Uncovering The Light
By: Kristen L. McNulty
Reprint rights available on request. Email the author at kristenmcnulty@hotmail.com.
I drive an older vehicle and one downside to driving an older vehicle is that as time goes on, the headlights seem to get less effective over time. This is because headlight lenses are made of acrylic and acrylic tends to oxidize when exposed to UV light. Vehicle manufacturers know this so they coat the headlights before the vehicle leaves the factory. The problem is as time goes by, the coating wears off and those once shiny and clear headlight lenses start fading and eventually the hard plastic will turn yellow. Knowing it was time to do something about it, I researched the best approach and purchased a kit that would help. I spent a good hour sanding down both headlight lenses, then using my power drill with a special attachment to buff them, before finally adding a special coating. By the time I was done the lenses looked like they did on the day the vehicle left the factory, but it was only at night could I see the real difference. Where before my headlights only lit up the section of road closest to the car, when now driving on the darkest of nights, the entire roadway and even the sides of the road was illuminated. If I didn’t know better I would have thought I was driving someone else’s car. A little unobstructed light in the darkness of the night made a lot of difference.
Light Shines Brighter In The Darkness
I’ve been thinking a lot about this concept since then. If you think about it, it’s true in many respects. If you bought a new flashlight and turned it on outside during the day, no one would likely even notice. But if you were holding that same flashlight in the dead of night, you’d stand out. If you turned on your Christmas lights at 9 am and left them on until 4:00pm they wouldn’t stand out nearly as much if you turned them on at 9pm and left them on until 4:00 am. Light has a way of standing out and shining even brighter in the darkness.
This concept isn’t limited to artificial sources of light. It carries over to you and I as well. It doesn’t take much to realize our world is really immersed in darkness right now. Between the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, open racism and hate, divisive politics, the opioid crisis, the economic turmoil and unrest in so many countries, our world is in a very dark place. Sometimes looking around it can get so discouraging to see just how dark it is. but then I remember something essential: we know that Jesus is the light of the world and then to take it a step further, we know He’s placed His light in you and I. So while we can’t fix all of the problems plaguing our world, we don’t need to, all we need to do is shine!
Living Out Our Faith
By living out our faith in the open and going out of our way to be Jesus to whoever we cross paths with, we will be bringing some much needed light into the darkness. And that’s exactly what we are called to do! Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16,
"You are the light of the world-like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." Matthew 5:14-16
Refusing To Cover Up The Light
There are so many people hurting around us. So especially at a time like this how can we even think of covering up the light inside of us? We can be a beacon of light to our coworkers and friends and neighborhoods and communities and point them towards the God who is the light and who can walk them through even the darkest of days.
In John, chapter one, when speaking about Jesus it says:
"The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." John 1:4-5
Jesus’ light doesn’t get blocked out by oxidization over time like my headlights did. Jesus’ light doesn’t dim as our flashlights do when the batteries start to run out. Jesus’ light shines bright and the darkness of our world is no match for it. We have it, we know it, we daily benefit from it, so how could we even think of not shining it out for the world to see?
What's the alternative?
I get that it can be hard to put yourself out there. I get that there’s a fear of rejection when talking to someone about your faith. I get that people might look at you differently once you start shining, but what is the alternative? How can we let those around us continue to sit in the darkness while we live comfortably in the light?
If you and a friend were walking at night on a trail that winded around the edge of a cliff and one misstep could send either of you over the edge and you had a flashlight and were walking ahead of them, what would you do? Would you only illuminate your path and let your friend go forward with whatever little light your body didn’t block out? Would you cup the back end of your flashlight so that they couldn’t even see your light at all? No! You’d walk side by side illuminating the light so that you could both navigate the treacherous path. So why do anything less right now?
Shining His Light In These Dark Times
The world around us needs Jesus now more than ever. This isn’t the time to hide or cover up our light. This is the time to shine our light and since we know light shines brighter in the darkness, maybe seeing your light during these dark times is exactly what someone around you needs to see in order to get the light of Christ for themselves.
"Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, 'I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.'" John 8:12
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