Last week was VBS at our congregation under the theme “Stellar.” The catch phrase response all week was “Shine Jesus’ light.”

It was a space theme, and our pastor is kind of a space nerd, so he was eating it up. He even built a Nasa-like control center from which to run the Powerpoints, and now has it on his desk with his computer in it. His sermon on Sunday was tied to the VBS theme. He told us about the Artemis astronauts training underwater in darkness to prepare for exploring the South Pole of the moon. He said that originally their missions were going to be several months long, but they are limiting them to only a month at a time. The rationale is that extended time in total darkness has a negative effect on people. Then he said, “Man was not made to live in darkness.” A simple and profound truth.

John 1:1–5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

For Father’s Day, one son-in-law gave me a pair of keychain lights. They are small square LEDs that can clip onto your keys. They also have a kickstand so they can sit on a table. When they were full-time RVers, they said those were very useful. When I turned it on, it was not even pointing toward my face, but it was so bright it startled me and hurt my one good eye a bit!

I thought that must be what it is like for those who have been living in the darkness when the Light of Jesus shines on them. It is kind of scary and makes them uncomfortable. Hopefully believers will shine Jesus’ light in a way that helps those in darkness see it is a good thing, a wonderful thing, a thing that all people need and can have freely.

Isaiah 9:2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

I am glad to have the light of Jesus in my life, and try to shine it for others to see as well. Yesterday I did that with five others guys from my congregation. A member of our congregation had a tree knocked over by a storm last week, leaning dangerously against another tree. We cut it down and hauled it away for them. Today I am going to check on another member who needs a porch repaired to see if it is a job I can do for them. When I have time, I also work with Habitat for Humanity to repair and build homes.

How will you let the light of Jesus shine through you today?  Remember, people were not made to live in darkness.