Old Lighthouses

It seems like I have always loved lighthouses.    I have had the chance to see them in a number of different locales.  Of course, I have seen the lighthouses that dot the North Carolina and South Carolina coast.  I have also seen lighthouses along eastern seaboard states like Maine and Massachusetts.   There are a couple of lighthouses along the coast of the Carolinas that brings sad feelings to me when I see them.  First, there is the lighthouse on Baldhead Island near Southport, NC.    You can see it from the harbor at Southport.    That lighthouse does not show a light anymore.   It simply stands there only serving the purpose of being a local landmark.  Secondly, there is a lighthouse located on Hilton Head Island,SC.    Ann and I have visited the Hilton Head Island lighthouse and have even climbed all the way to the top.   Like the lighthouse built at Baldhead Island, the Hilton Head Island lighthouse does not shine a light.    A matter of fact,the Hilton Head Island lighthouse never has been a working lighthouse.  It was built by Hilton Head Island developers as a landmark and conversation piece for visitors.      It is sad when a lighthouse only serves the purpose of being a landmark or local conversation piece.    They were meant to shine a light that guides ships as they navigate the dangerous Carolina waters.   I recently read again these words of Jesus  from Matthew 5: 14-16 that say:

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.¹⁵ 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. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorifyyour Father in heaven.

Like a lighthouse, we are meant to serve a purpose: to be the light of Christ in the world.     Perhaps some of us once showed the light of Christ, and (like the old lighthouse at Baldhead Island)  we have lost our usefulness.  Another possibility is that we (like the Hilton Head lighthouse) look like a lighthouse when indeed we are not.    There are so many people in our world today whose lives are filled with darkness and gloom.  Oh, how our world needs  to know the light of the love that is found in Jesus Christ   Have a joy-filled week.-  Pastor Randy Wall

Prayer:   O God, we give you thanks for sending your son, Christ Jesus, into the world.  Through the power of your Holy Spirit, help us to show the light of his love in the world we live;  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.