Sight. It just might be the powerhouse of the five senses, yet it is often taken for granted. For "sighted" people, it is a birthright. An autopilot blessing that is never even considered until it begins to wane in the twilight years of life. It wasn't on my radar either until a dark September night on Fort Lauderdale Beach. October marks the end of sea turtle nesting season in South Florida and watching baby flippers head towards the sea was a bucket list item of mine. An exhausting three mile trek ended on a not-so-dark stretch of beach where cell phones were dutifully turned off at the request of the tour guide. The moment was almost sacred as the mounds of earth shifted and these tiny creatures defied the confinement of their burial, using falling sand as a ladder to make their way to the surface.
What happened next caught all of us by surprise. (Most hatchlings emerge at night and are guided to the water's edge by the natural light of the moon) With city traffic roaring just behind us and new high-rise construction blinking its neon frenzy of distraction, these baby loggerheads became disoriented and expended valuable energy heading in the wrong direction. Sources of artificial light compete with the natural order of things and pose a very real and present danger for turtles. The female of this ancient species will journey to the same beach where she hatched when nesting season is near, undaunted by the thousands of miles separating her from that destination. As an adult, she can sense the specific magnetic field of that point. Baby turtles have no such intuition; their destiny hinges on sight alone.
By now, you may have guessed that the crux of this blog post is not environmental conservation. I think we can all agree that we have been living through an extended season of darkness. Have you ever remained seated in a movie theater (as the credits rolled) squinting as your eyes adjusted to the light? Or experienced temporary blindness when an overzealous shutterbug deployed the camera flash at the wrong moment? Artificial light can be jarring, causing sensory overload. In contrast, natural light is soothing and beautiful. As I sat on the shore witnessing the collective disorientation of those hatchlings, I felt helpless. Couldn't they see the moon over the water? Didn't they know that the brightest lights signaled the greatest danger? Couldn't they sense that the ocean was just within striking distance?
More than ever, our attention is divided, and the risk is palpable. When our eyes are trained on the genuine illumination of God's Word, we will not falter or head in the wrong direction. Glittering lights are bombarding us through 24/7 media coverage, fake news/gossip, political promises and even well-meaning religious activities that blur our focus. The truth of God's Word should draw us closer to the point of our destination, but we have become disoriented, investing our time in things with no eternal significance. Like the turtle hatchlings, we are easily distracted by "artificial light" and we shun the very thing we need most. There is an oasis of living water, but most people will risk their lives chasing the mirage. Open your spiritual eyes and look towards THE SON. Accept no substitutes!
Later, in one of his talks, Jesus said to the people, “I am the Light of the world. So if you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, for living light will flood your path.”
~John 8:12 (The Living Bible)
*P.S. (Point to Ponder) After writing this initial article, I learned something that really tied into this theme. (Thanks CNN10) In Taiwan, it is normal practice, under thick cover of night, for fishermen to light a fire on the end of a bamboo stick, fully expecting an effortless haul of sardines. You see, that dazzling light is irresistible to the fish who willingly leap out of the water by the hundreds, jumping into nets of certain death. The most dangerous traps sometimes glisten with a thin veneer of "heavenly" brilliance. Stay alert because Satan masquerades as an angel of light.
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