Kendall Lowe

How many of us are afraid of the dark? If not, how many of us in a certain situation would be afraid of the dark? Being alone? Being lost? The dark can be a pretty scary place for just about anyone.

My least favorite part about being in the dark is that you cannot tell who is who. When I was a little boy living in Michigan, we were in the church auditorium when suddenly someone turned the lights out. I was obviously scared and started searching around, calling out for my daddy. For some reason, the other men in the room thought it would be funny to confuse me and call out, “Over here son! It’s me Kendall!” I searched around trying to discern my father’s voice. Finally I found him, and I threw my arms around his leg. Just then the lights were turned back on, and to my dismay I looked up to see a man who was NOT my father. Not only was I embarrassed that I was latching onto this strange man’s leg, I was also embarrassed at the fact that I couldn’t even recognize my own father’s voice.

Life is sometimes like walking around in the dark. We can’t tell where we are going or where we will step next. It’s hard to distinguish different faces and people in the darkness. We feel alone and lost without a light to guide us. But is life supposed to be like this?

Jesus says in John 8:12, “I am the Light of the world.” When Jesus came into the world, it had been stumbling around in the dark for generations. Then Jesus pierced that darkness like a lighthouse, drawing people to himself.

And now he shines like a city on a hill that people are drawn to, right? He is like a lamp on a stand that gives light to all who would enter the room. For those who are familiar with the Sermon on the Mount, you know that these words are not referring to Jesus. Instead, they are by Jesus and are talking about us. Jesus came into this world as the light, but then he gave that light to us, that he might shine through us. Not only are we not meant to stumble through darkness in this life, but we are meant to be the light to those in the darkness.

There are hundreds of voices trying to get people’s attention in this dark world. Let’s turn on our lights and point them in the direction of their true Father.