TADB 79: Light Reflectors

The iconic lighthouse has long been a fascination for this Midwesterner.  Whenever our family traveled to the coasts, we made it a practice to visit lighthouses in the area.  We have even collected some high-quality lighthouse replicas to display in our home.

Before GPS, the purpose of a lighthouse was to warn ships of danger in inclement weather and orient them to their location in good weather.  It works by providing a light source combined with reflective lenses to concentrate the light rays into a single beam of light.  Over the years, lighthouses have undergone improvements regarding the source of light and the development of more efficient lenses.  But the principle has always been the same.

The lighthouse example aptly captures the message of Matt. 5:14-16. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; … Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Continuing the discussion of our spiritual senses, each one has a corresponding missional component.  Our spiritual vision allows us to see the truth/light of Jesus and His Word and then reflect it to our world.  If the light is restricted and our lens defective, bringing illumination to our sphere of influence is compromised.

“We cannot reflect what we do not see.”  The location and relationship of the sun, moon, and earth illustrate this principle.  The sun is the source of light.  The moon, having no light source within it, is designed to reflect that light.  But the reflection will only happen if there is a clear, unobstructed view.  Ironically, the sun’s light can be blocked by the earth as it occurs with a lunar eclipse.  If our mission is to illuminate the glory of our Light Source to our world, we need to position ourselves with an unobstructed view so we can see Him most clearly and reflect Him most accurately. 

Getting back to our lighthouse metaphor, the brightness and consistency of the light source (originally a flame) need constant management by the lighthouse keeper for the life-saving beacon to be reliable.  That required the lighthouse keeper to carry fuel up a winding staircase, usually twice a day.   When he was not refueling the light, the keeper was polishing the lens, which tended to accumulate dust and debris from the surrounding air. 

We could learn from the lighthouse and the lighthouse keeper.  As we heighten our ability to see with our spiritual eyes, we increase our capacity to reflect to others what we see.  It is not enough to “absorb” the light; we need to keep our lens clean to reflect the light.

Paul’s tribute to the church at Thessalonica is an excellent example of reflected light.

“You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything.  For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God” (Thess. 1:6-9).

The believers in this early church had not only absorbed the light of the gospel, but their lens was clean enough to effectively reflect it into their neighborhood, making Paul’s job easier.

Another example from the Gospels is when Jesus first went into the region of the Decapolis (Mark 5), where He encountered a demon-possessed man and resistant people.  Confronted with the miracle of this wild and uncontrolled man now clothed and in his right mind, the people demanded Jesus get out of their country and leave them alone.  They valued their pigs more than this man’s freedom from demons.

Jesus did not argue or put up any resistance.  He quietly left…but not without first establishing a light.  When the cured man asked to join the traveling team, Jesus implied the man could wear the uniform but not ride the bus.  Instead, he was to return to his village and play ball on his home court, testifying of what God had done.  In other words, be a light. 

The Gospel of Mark gives us the best account of the confrontation, initially recorded in Mark 5.  But one chapter and several months later, Mark records the return of Jesus to this predominantly Gentile area on the southeast corner of the Sea of Galilee.  This time the people welcomed Him, not with skepticism or resistance, but with enthusiasm.  Why?  Could it have been the “lighthouse” that had been living in their community?  The redeemed man, who didn’t know much about the Light source that he had encountered, reflected what he did know.  And like the woman of Sychar, it was just enough light to motivate his social network to see for themselves. 

As keepers of our individual, mobile lighthouses, we need to keep the light bright and the lens clean.  Only then can we stand as beacons of light and truth to a world caught in the darkness and storms of today’s culture. 

For Reflection:

1.  In the Old Testament, Israel was to be a beacon of light to their surrounding world.  What happened?

2.  What are the spiritual practices for keeping our lens clean?

3.  Reflect on the difference between a dirty lens and a cracked lens?