Light It Up!

Lights are important. They illuminate dangerous darkness and the path to safety. A night light can make a strange place feel a little more secure. Motel 6 advertises they will leave a light on for us. The Bible proclaims followers of Jesus to be the "light of the world." Luke 8:16 (MSG) declares that "no one lights a lamp and then covers it with a washtub or shoves it under the bed." No one, that is, except Gideon.

Judges 7:16-22 relates the story of Gideon's conquest of the much larger force of Midianites. His 300 chosen soldiers were armed with trumpets and jars with torches hidden inside. At the appointed signal they blew the horns, broke the jars, and shouted. The sudden lights and noise startled the enemy into killing one another. God's plan worked. Israel was victorious.

In 2011 I took a solo road trip from Tennessee to Alaska. Yes, I had my wife's blessing. She had no desire to travel that distance by car, and I'd always dreamed of traversing the entire Alaska-Canadian Highway. I can attest that it takes five days to go from Tennessee to Alaska by car if you average 1,100 miles each 24 hours. Before you ask...I slept when I got tired wherever I found a safe-looking spot with a nearby bathroom. I pulled over into rest areas, campgrounds, parks, marina parking lots, and spaces at trailheads. This latter place caused my only anxiety of the entire 21 nights sleeping in my Nissan Sentra.

I had just spent some hours investigating favorite author Jack London's hometown of Dawson City, Yukon. I drove a few miles east and then turned north on the Dempster Highway. As it got late and I got tired, I looked for a resting spot. I turned off at the sign for Grizzly Trailhead. I backed into a vacant space near the porta-potty. It was about 11 p.m. About 2:30 a.m. I was awakened by a loud rustling in the bushes behind me. I started the car, pulled forward, and turned around. The headlights were now shining into the noisy flora. In front of me illuminated in my high beams was the biggest, darkest, loudest, scariest porcupine I'd ever seen in the wilds. I got out and snapped a few photos that didn't turn out too focused. My amateur photography skills were spoiled by low light and the creature's waddling away as fast as its stumpy legs could carry it.

As on that night I am usually very appreciative of light. It can be the brightness of the sun, a glorious full moon, or any of the many man made devices that illuminate the way to safety. I am especially thankful that Jesus promises in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

A famous poem/hymn by Cardinal John Henry Newman begins, "Lead kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom, Lead thou me on." Join me as a Light of the world. Let's unveil, break the jar, and LIGHT IT UP!