Several years ago, I heard about a remarkable invention. Two architecture students, inspired by Haiti’s catastrophic 2010 earthquake, created an inflatable, waterproof, solar-powered lantern that was featured on the TV show Shark Tank. It sounded like a good idea to me, so I ordered a LuminAID lantern to have on hand for minor power outages.
In July 2024, Hurricane Beryl took many of us by surprise. My solar-powered lantern came in handy during the subsequent power outage; however, I have to admit it worked better when paired with ancient knowledge. As my husband and I sat down for dinner (prepared on our gas-powered stove), I plunked my nifty lantern on the table. It didn’t help much. “Put it up higher,” my husband suggested, so I hung it from the light fixture that hangs over our dining room table. Instantly, the whole room lit up with a warm glow.
I was suddenly reminded of Matthew 5:14-16, where Jesus said, “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.”
This probably made perfect sense to people who used oil lamps to light their homes, and who knew what a lampstand was, but it took a hurricane and subsequent power outage for me to think about the deeper meaning. Jesus went on to say, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
The concept of “light” is used many times throughout the Bible. Psalm 119:105 states, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” And in Acts, 26:16-18, we learn God sent the Apostle Paul to Gentile territory “to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”
The song many of us learned as children still rings true: “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. . .”
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” – John 8:12
