You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. [Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT)]
Warm summer nights at the lake mean campfires, s’mores and fireflies. As the darkness descends, bug jars appear and the children start chasing these fascinating insects. How odd that the same child who will shirk away from any insect during the day will give chase to and capture these flashing winged beetles at night. By the end of the evening, the children have collected a jarful of tiny flying stars (that will be released as soon as the little ones are tucked into bed).
Officially, they are Lampyridae—unofficially, they are the lightning bugs that bring magic to our yards and smiles to our faces. They have little light factories in their abdomens that take in oxygen and combine it with luciferin and other harder-to-spell chemicals to produce light with no heat. Actually, these bioluminescent creatures are just highly efficient flying light bulbs!
Unfortunately, many scientists believe Lampyridae are disappearing from the landscape because the grassy meadows and ponds that were their home are now parking lots and housing developments. The bugs’ biggest threat, however, comes not from urban sprawl or pesticides but from the lights that accompany civilization. Fireflies light up so they can communicate with one another and each of the 200 species has its own unique flash pattern. What we see on a summer’s night is actually a firefly’s version of a singles’ bar. As they flit around flashing their lights, they’re looking for a mate. The glow from parking lots, street lamps and car headlights can interrupt a firefly’s signals for several minutes meaning these tiny guys can’t find one another to do what fireflies must do to survive.
While watching my yard light up with these flying light factories, I think of how Jesus calls us to be the light of the world. Like fireflies, we are to shine in its darkness. Just as children are drawn to the firefly’s light, people should be drawn to ours. As Christians, we should sparkle and shine and be a welcome sight to all who encounter us. That glow of love should help others recognize us for what we are—followers of Christ. There’s no need to chase and capture us since we’ll joyfully share the source of our light with others. But, like the firefly, the world around us threatens our survival. While it’s light that endangers the firefly, it’s the world’s darkness that endangers ours. We must never let it keep us from shining brightly.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the blessings of summer nights and for the fireflies that remind us to shine our lights brightly in the darkness of this troubled world.
All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle. [Francis of Assisi]
Devotions of the Heart 