Light Up the Runway!
Matthew 5:14-15
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.”
James Dobson told a story about a friend who was flying his single-engine plane toward a small rural airport. When he arrived, the sun had already dropped behind the mountain. By the time he had maneuvered into position to land, he couldn’t see the landing strip. No one was on duty at the airport, and there were no lights. The pilot circled the runway, but the darkness become even more impenetrable. He flew around in the inky blackness for two hours, knowing full that he would crash when his fuel ran out. As panic began to seize him, a wonderful thing happened. Someone who lived near the airport had heard the continuous drone of a small plane engine and realized there was a problem. That man raced to the airport and drove his car back and forth on the runway to indicate the direction of the airstrip. He then drove to the far end of the runway, positioned his lights, and turned them on high beam to shine down the stretch of tarmac. The pilot landed safely.
We all know the potential disaster that comes from being caught ill-equipped in darkness. Darkness can be frightening. Darkness can be dangerous. Darkness can be deadly.
God is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). Because God has given Himself to us, we in turn, bear witness of God to others. What if the man who had illuminated the runway had decided to stay home? The souls of the world hang in the balance, and without Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, they are destined to remain in the darkness—without God . . . without hope. Grab your keys, start the engine, turn on the headlights—someone’s in trouble. Don’t make him circle the field again! Light up the runway . . . bring him in for a safe landing!