Every morning I draw a small picture in my journal about something that stood out in my daily devotions. I usually copy something I’ll find online. Today, since I read Matthew 5, I looked for a drawing of salt and light. I found many to choose from.
Today I noticed that most of the sketches about being the light of the world are incandescent light bulbs. You remember incandescent lightbulbs, don’t you? They feature a filament with enough resistance to glow and fill a room with light. They burn hot, too. Let them cool before you replace one. Incandescent bulbs were banned in the US in last year (2023), although you can still buy them online.
They first gave way to compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFL). They came in all kinds of spiral-y, twisty shapes to fit where incandescent bulbs once did. It usually took a few moments for them to reach full brightness. I think we still have some in our home, probably in the ceiling fan lights. They were cool to the touch. They were discontinued because of disposal and recycling challenges.
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are what we uise today. They are smaller, use less power, glow in different colors, and last a long time. Our world is lit with LEDs.
When Jesus said, “You are the light of the world,” his audience would have thought of a flame that burned from the wick of an oil lamp. It would be about 1,800 years before the invention of a lightbulb.
So since you are (according to Jesus) the “light of the world,” what kind of bulb are you? Old school Thomas Edison incandescent? Curly avant-garde CFL? Cutting-edge LED? Ancient oil lamp?
It doesn’t matter. Just be light.
Waite for it... 