It’s not like I live in the country, where the stars are approx. 8,000,000x brighter since there aren’t any other big competing lights around. It’s just that it was nighttime, so our subdivision, despite having some streetlamps here and there, was still nighttime-y. Which is why this light was especially surprising.
I turned left into our sub and looked ahead. My eyes quickly caught sight of a widespread light shining in the distance.
What is that? My eyebrows slowly swooped together as I considered what the soft light could be.
Ohhh. The fair. Right.
I’m not big on county fairs. (Like…what do you get when you combine too many people, massive amounts of heat AND humidity, foods whose ingredients pretty much literally ONLY contain fat and sugar, and pigs…you see my point? Let’s just say my idea of fun generally involves none of those.)
As a result…the fact that the fair was happening in my city wasn’t on the forefront of my mind.
And beyond that, it was surprising, since the light was pretty bright to be coming from a fair that was several miles away. But what was a bit more surprising was the fact that Holy Spirit used that sight to spark a sermon in my soul.
See that? It’s miles away, and yet…you can see the light. Why?
Because it’s dark out. I wouldn’t have even noticed it during the day.
Why?
Because light shines brightest in the darkness.
Almost exactly a year ago, my life was massively impacted (partly in ways I might not even know about yet) by watching Queen Esther, a live production of my fav Bible gal’s life by Sight & Sound Theatre in Lancaster, PA. There were SO many things God used in the show to bless me, but one is a lyric from one of the closing numbers:
“The world was meant to see us shine. He placed us in the night – let there be light!”
It’s a tremendous song right near the end of the show, where Esther and the massive ensemble declare God’s praise, belting about how each of us was born with PURPOSE. And the livestream of this show (which is how I watched it) was broadcast during the pandemic last year, making it all the more personal and impactful to me.
Yes, it’s powerful. But also…a little weird? Like, why would He place us “in the night”? It seems almost mean, you know? Or at least a little dysfunctional. I mean, aren’t we supposed to just always be in the light, thriving?
And then science raises its hand, reminding us of the experiment we all did when we were 5. Grab a flashlight. Go into your bathroom. Turn on the flashlight. Not too impressive, right? But then you shut the door and turn off the bathroom light.
And suddenly that flashlight beam is blinding.
Like the flashlight prop in that elementary school experiment, so are the lives of Christians. The lights God has graciously given us are made to SHINE. And those lights do their thang best when it’s real dark.
You know when there’s a storm that comes out of the middle of nowhere, knocking the power out at your house and leaving you & the fam completely unprepared? (Let’s face it – keeping flashlights and batteries in the house does feel a little 2005-y.)
And then Dad finds a flashlight in the junk drawer, fumbles to feel out the switch in the darkness, and switches it on. And, just like that, the family’s drawn to the light like moths to a sticky, summery front porch. (You know we had to throw a bad metaphor in there, for old time’s sake.)
Just like the lights from that county fair, miles away from my house, shone so much stronger than I expected, so does our witness for Him when we let Him work through us.
The darkness isn’t to be feared. Nor is it to be unexpected. Instead, let’s surrender it to God and thank Him for an opportunity to shine brighter and bolder, all for His glory and only in His strength.
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16
For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.
Ephesians 5:8
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:5
For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
Psalm 18:28
Be that carnival ride. Shine brightly, friend.
And when people notice that light, point them right back to its Source.
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