Rjukan, Norway and Viganella, Italy have something very unique in common. Both are tiny villages in the valley between two mountains. What makes them unique, however, is that for up to six months of the year, these villages experience complete and total darkness. The nearby mountains completely block the sun’s rays from reaching their towns.

As it turns out, the people living here did not love living without light. They tried to come up with many ways to bring light into their lives, but for hundreds of years there was no solution. More recently, however, these two communities were able to experience sunlight in their winter months thanks to large mirrors built high in the mountains designed to track the sunlight and reflect the daylight into the town squares. While the mirrors are not fully equivalent of natural sunlight, they did bring much needed light into these towns, who would otherwise experience darkness.

The inhabitants of these villages tried for years to find a solution to their problem because the people who lived their knew they weren’t meant to live in darkness. They needed the light. Just like these small villages, we were not created to live in darkness. We are in need of the light, so we can also be the light.

Matthew 5:14-16 says, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 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. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

We have to ask ourselves, have we allowed the darkness to sneak into our hearts? Have we become like these small villages, living in darkness? Before we can shine brightly for others, we need to be sure we are allowing God’s light to shine into our own hearts. What do we need to do in order to bring the light back into our hearts? And how, then, will we shine God’s light back into the world?

 For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.

–Philippians 2:13-16

-Wendy