HOLD YOUR CANDLE HIGH,

YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD!

As a child, I was fascinated by reading of “darkest Africa,” speaking of a spiritual darkness, of course. Then, early in my Bible college days, I spent a summer working as an intern, partially in Harlem, and in Newark, New Jersey. There, I learned that such darkness is not limited to Africa. We see it all about us everywhere.

After Phyllis and I became recruits to go to Africa, I recall a visual illustration I used at a camp where we were the camp missionaries. In a darkened room, a lighted candle was removed from a box so that it could be seen all over the room, but cast very little light in the far corners. Then by lighting more and more candles from that one, the level of the light gradually increased until the room was much lighter. You and I are like that single candle. Perhaps, alone, we don’t make much difference, but if we persist in spreading the light from person to person, in time a great difference results.

I will always remember standing under a tree not far from Kimberley. That tree was unique in that David Livingstone used to preach under it. It stood a few feet in front of a small church house. I often preached in a larger natural stone building a short distance down the road. I am sure that we differ in other specifics, but David Livingstone, Andrew Murray, and I shared one thing in that we were there to bring light to a people in spiritual darkness. Christians are to be the light of the world.

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” John 3:17-21.

When the people rejected the prophets, God sent his only begotten Son into this world to bring light so that we might see where the rocky path we are following is really leading us. That is what Livingstone did, and today we see the result all over southern Africa. The Anglican church is everywhere. Andrew Murray did the same, and today the Dutch Reformed church is in every city, town, and hamlet. History books, museums, Guest homes, orphanages and even universities recall the names of those early messengers, but we Christians only came hundreds of years later to add our light where they left ignorance and darkness. “He that believeth not is condemned already.” This scriptures said the reason was because their deeds were evil, but Mark adds another a little more light on the reason when he said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.“ Some versions say is damned already. Does that mean that we should not take the light. Not at all! We are here to be light bearers so that all may be able to see where they are heading. We are not here to condemn, but you and I have as one of our responsibilities, to carry the light aloft that others might see and not stumble in the way.