Let the Sunshine In

After Jesus confronted the religious leaders who brought to Him a woman destined for death, He spoke these words about Himself in John chapter 8:
12Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

And, remember, in the Sermon on the Mount, He said that we are the light of the world - that is not a contradiction; we just have to understand that He gives us the capacity to reflect His light into a world that defaults toward darkness.   Jesus offers the antidote to darkness, the way out of a life that is burdened, that is hopeless, that does not offer His perfect peace.   He has come to set us free from the power of the enemy, who would keep us in bondage, in the dark.   A relationship with God through Christ offers us the opportunity to experience His marvelous light and an abundant life.

In Isaiah chapter 9, we read about a great light, the light of the Messiah to come, the One who defeat the power of darkness and bring freedom to those who were bound:
2The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.3You have multiplied the nation And increased its joy; They rejoice before You According to the joy of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.4For You have broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor...

For 5-1/2 months every year, the village of Rjukah in Norway does not see the sun. It is located in a remote, dark valley in the shadow of Gaustatoppen, a mountain over 6,000 feet high that hosts a ski resort. In 1913, a bookkeeper made a proposal in a local newspaper to erect mirrors above the town that would reflect the sun. This week, the project was completed.

According to Reuters, about 1,000 people, including children wearing sunglasses and with yellow suns painted on their faces, cheered when the sun broke through clouds to illuminate the main square in the city. The town has a total population of around 3,500.

Oystein Haugan led the 5 million crown ($849,300) project to set up the three mirrors set on a ridge about the town center, with a combined surface area of 550 sq ft that will track the sun by computer. Haugan said, "It's a crazy idea - but a bit of madness is fun."

The reflected sunlight, covering 6,500 sq ft, is meant to create a meeting place for sun-starved locals and a draw for tourists. Organizers reckon the reflected light will be about 80 percent as bright as the real sun.

A little bit of ingenuity here has resulted in some pleasure for the residents of Rjukah during the dark winter months.  It's been tried since 2006 in an Italian city in the Alps.  The mirrors reflect the sun and bring the light.

I thought about the nature of reflected light as it applies to our display of the light of Christ in our lives.   Jesus referred to Himself in Scripture as the light of the world, but then He also referred to His disciples as the light of the world.   We display His nature to the world around us.   And, we recognize a few points:  First, we are not the light source.   He is the One who has come to bring His light, expressed in love and truth, to a world that, left to its own devices, will pursue the ways of darkness.   In and of ourselves, we cannot effectively show the character of our Lord, but as we yield to Him, He will show Himself through us.

We also realize even though people skew toward and are comfortable with spiritual darkness, light is very compelling.  That's why the message of the gospel is so compelling - Jesus offers a person, through a relationship with Himself, the opportunity to experience His unbelievable love, to walk in joy, to be free from the bondage that weighs them down, and to encounter God Almighty, who has promised to be with us and in us.   If we are radiating the true light of Christ, people will be drawn to Him.

There are elements of the light of the sun, just as God set it up, that cause physical growth.  And, we're reminded that light of the Lord brings spiritual growth.   As we place the truth of the Scriptures within our hearts and remember the words of the Lord in our consciousness, He illuminates the way we walk and sets the direction of our lives.   His light connecting with our hearts means we can grow in our relationship with Christ.  

The people of this Norwegian town have experienced a new form of light through these enormous mirrors.   They have experienced the sun when previously they have not.   Hopefully, people will experience Christ the Son as we allow His light to shine through us.