We are called to carry the light that brings deliverance and life in Christ to those trapped in darkness and the shadow of spiritual death. If we are faithful to our calling, some in the drug-infested neighborhoods will be rescued, others will overcome the trauma of child abuse, unborn babies will be rescued before an abortion attempt on their lives, many will be fed both physical and spiritual food averting starvation’s grip, while others engulfed in false religions of works will be enlightened and delivered by faith.

Two of the great loves of my life are world history and French. From elementary school on, I have been fascinated by the history of mankind. My love of French dates back to language study days spent in Montpelier, France as a first-term missionary. I embraced French culture, language, and literature as a special gift from God to one whose early life was confined to a very small corner of St. Louis. In fact, I arrived at a place where I even thought and dreamed in French!

With this background in mind, it is no wonder that I would be drawn to any film based upon either subject. In 1993 I went to see two highly acclaimed movies. The one was based on the life and adventures of Christopher Columbus, and the other was a French movie regarding the life of a Baroque violist and composer, Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe.

The movies, though very different in content and action, were uniquely striking in one particular area—they both were cast in very dim light. It was as if the sun never shone brightly, even during the day! I wearied to watch so many long scenes in such dark shadows, straining to perceive any significant characters or backgrounds. I began to wonder if this was a new trend in moviemaking, that is, to look at life through shadows and darkness. The French movie was said to be cast in “Rembrandt” shades. Whatever the reason, its nocturnal nuances depicted life in a very gloomy way and supported its sad theme. Its ominous hues served only to punctuate the tragedy being played out. I also questioned if this was perhaps an indication that more films will portray life existentially as tragic, hopeless, and in despair. The darkness also accentuated any flicker of light, whether it involved a candle, a lantern, or a torch. (Human torches resulting from the Inquisition provided the main light in one scene in the Christopher Columbus movie.)

As we look at the world around us, whether locally, nationally, or globally, the works of darkness are most evident. In fact, we often see either individual lives or masses of people shrouded in darkness. Consider, for instance, an abused child with no hope of escape, an unborn baby about to be snatched from its safe haven, a neighborhood under siege in a drug-infested or gang-ruled zone, or a particular ethnic, political, religious, or racial group of people in the process of extermination by strong foes, whether they be militaristic or economic such as famine. And let’s not exclude some of the most subtle and sophisticated works of darkness masqueraded by religiosity and self-righteousness. How great is the darkness!

We have a wonderful privilege and a great calling to carry the light of the Gospel in this dark world. The Apostle Paul wrote: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light . . . and find out what pleases the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8, 9). Having been a part of that darkness in the past, we know just how great the darkness is. But we also know that the smallest light flickers brightly and has the potential to reach one, some, or many. The prophet Isaiah spoke: “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” (Isaiah 9:2).

We are called to carry the light that brings deliverance and life in Christ to those trapped in darkness and the shadow of spiritual death. If we are faithful to our calling, some in the drug-infested neighborhoods will be rescued, others will overcome the trauma of child abuse, unborn babies will be rescued before an abortion attempt on their lives, many will be fed both physical and spiritual food averting starvation’s grip, while others engulfed in false religions of works will be enlightened and delivered by faith, etc. Most importantly, people will be introduced to Jesus Christ and by faith receive atonement, and redemption—eternal salvation.  The possibilities are numberless. We can carry the light where we are, whether in our hometown or nation, by going to other parts of the world carrying the life-giving light, or by participating in prayer and giving.

Involvement in our churches’ mission programs give us opportunities to become better informed of ministries that are faithful to carry the light to the dark world around us and how we can become personally involved. Let’s recognize our responsibility to carry the light.

Helen Louise Herndon is a member of Central Presbyterian Church (EPC) in St. Louis, Missouri. She is freelance writer and served as a missionary to the Arab/Muslim world in France and North Africa.