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Let There Be Light…

By November 1, 2018August 30th, 2022Lost in Translation

Janet and I were out walking our dog, Hank, earlier this week and noticed an odd solar powered landscape light stuck in the ground at the corner of our block. It happened to be right next to the post that holds the street signs and I wondered what it was for. In fact, I almost reached down to remove it, as I am a member of the Board of the Homeowner’s Association and we are supposed to be on the look-out for things that are out of place or not within the guidelines of the neighborhood covenants.

Then, it occurred to me that perhaps with the severe winds we have had lately, the light rolled into the intersection from a nearby home and somebody stuck it in the ground hoping the owner would notice it and retrieve it. After all, that happened to us several years ago with a furniture cover that blew off a chair during the winter and ended up across the street, under a tree, next to a fence.

But I didn’t notice any yard lights missing from nearby homes and the light looked new. In any event, I left it since the light didn’t seem to be there by chance. It was clear to me that somebody placed it there on purpose – but I didn’t know the reason. Fast forward to our walk this morning.

As we approached the intersection, I noticed that the light was still there next to the street post – nobody had claimed it yet. But as I got closer, it appeared that something was a little different. Sure enough, since yesterday, someone had painted a short note on the top of the light – around the solar cell in the lid. It said, “Please leave this light for the children at this bus stop in the morning.” Wow…

Then, I realized that in the eastern time zone we are in, it is still dark till almost 8:00 am and that is long after the kids have boarded the bus. I guess I always assumed that the pole there was a street light but that isn’t the case. It’s just there to hold the street signs. So whoever placed the light in the ground, did it as a kindness so the kids wouldn’t have to stand around in the dark waiting for their school bus.

Suddenly, the entire chain of events took on a whole new “light.” Someone was thoughtful enough to do this for the kids on our block. And that’s pretty special. Of course, the Bible has quite a bit to say about light. Even though there are many places that light is referred to, I am partial to the verses in 1 John. That’s because when you learn Greek, the book of 1 John is the first book you learn to translate and for that reason, the verses stay with you longer than similar verses in other parts of the Scripture. And when you study an ancient language, you really dive in to the details of the verse and every nuance of what the human author, under the auspices of the Holy Spirit, is trying to say.

For that reason, tonight’s verse is from John’s first epistle. And this letter carries quite a message about darkness and light. In fact, I though about tonight’s verse as soon as I read the message that had been painted on the light. John tells us, in 1 John 1:5-7, “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

Walking in the light – that’s what it is all about and some concerned parent wanted the children to walk in the light, having childlike fellowship with one another as they waited for their bus. My encouragement this evening is that God wants each of us to walk in the light – and to know that darkness can not stand against the light. My prayer is that we will all see the light of Jesus, Savior of the world, and that we will place a light in every dark corner of the earth, whenever and wherever we see the need. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…

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