Afraid of the dark? Darkness brings fear but light brings hope. If we are to be a lighthouse we need the light of God in our dark places and our dark moments. Tempted by Satan in the wilderness Jesus too had his dark moments but he overcame and Satan had to leave him, a moment of light and hope for a dark world! Jesus made true what David wrote – ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? (Ps 27:1) And what Isaiah said – ‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned’ (Isaiah 9:2). With light instead of darkness hope dawns for a dark world. 

Is Jesus Christ our ‘Lord of light’ as a church? Is the Lord my light? Are we walking in the light of the Lord? Remember what Jesus also said – “Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light so that you may become children of light.” (John 12 35-6). So to be like a lighthouse we must walk in the light, showing others we are the children of light. Jesus made it plain, only those who follow him are walking in the light. All other ways lead us back into darkness. Light comes only from him. Our task is to trust our life to him and reflect him as light to others – we are not the light, but as we walk in the light we will attract others to the light, and that is to be our work as a church.

But our lighthouse reminds us of something else. We live in what is often a dark place. Darkness at times seems to surround us. The danger is that it is so easy to be caught up in that darkness, enticed and entwined. The lighthouse pulses out patterns of light but they pass and it is dark again until the pulse is repeated once more. Has our life got like that, mostly conforming with society and just offering out little pulses of light at intervals? 

Psalm 139 remind us that God knows everything about us, absolutely everything! What is more he is there to offer protection, above and below, in front and behind. But the choice is ours, walk in the light or try to hide in the darkness? Yet even as we try to hide in the dark the psalmist again reminds us that we cannot hide. God was also in the darkness in the beginning and we cannot hide from him. But in his lovingkindness he offered light instead. If we walk in the light of Jesus, we begin to discover our desire to return to the world of darkness lessens. Listen again to the psalmist’s conclusion and the choice he makes – ‘Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting’ (Psalm 139:22-24).

We should leave Jesus to conclude, for he makes it all personal, reminding me that this is for me and about me. I have to choose to walk in the light, choose to make enemies of the dark ways. When I do then Jesus says “You are the light of the world. So let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16). Jesus calls to me personally, to walk in that light, and reflect him to a dark world.