When the light goes out.

How many people does it take to change the light bulb in the Livermore, California fire-house? Well, no one quite knows since the bulb is still burning after 117 years. And it's not alone. There are a few others around the world that have glowed for many decades, showing modern technology isn't always what it's cracked up to be. 

With lighting companies falling over themselves to produce higher-priced, longer lasting bulbs--a mere 10,000 hours now is around the upper limit--the tiny, antique bulbs that are still working prove the adage that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The Livermore Fire station even has its own web-page 

The incandescent bulb was invented by Thomas Edison in 1879 and has changed very little since. The now-defunct Shelby Electric Company (Edison's only successful competition) made the California bulb, which stays on 24 hours a day, in 1900. It was installed at the fire department hose cart house in 1901. It was moved to another station in 1976. That's where it still is--a beacon for the firefighters and the dozen or so daily visitors to the northern California station house. 

The Guinness Book of Records and Ripley's Believe It or Not both list the California bulb as the oldest and longest burning in the world. It has been on for an incredible 975,500 hours. In second place is a bulb in Fort Worth, Texas, that has been burning since the 1930s. Other bulbs in England and New York City have burned for many decades as well. 

Of course, the folks in Livermore do have a replacement for their famous, hard-working lamp--another 1900 Shelby bulb waiting for its day to shine. 

Jesus said (speaking to the disciples, and by extension, to us) You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do men light a lamp and put it under the grain-measure, but on a lampstand. And it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

The Greek word used for light in this verse is phos, and this is just not ordinary light, but rather the dazzling white light, such as one might see emanating from burning phosphorous and or magnesium, or if one was permitted to see an angel clothed in all of their radiant glory. The word implies rays of light brilliantly shining.

We who carry His name are the phos of the world, and as such, we are called to shine in the darkness. As we walk in Christ's light we become the light to this world, we are to be illustrious and conspicuous, and we should expect to have many eyes upon us. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. The disciples of Christ, especially those who are zealous in His service, will become significant, and be taken notice of as beacons.

As the light of the world, we are intended to illuminate and give light to others; we are to act as signs to all of our neighbors. We can expect to be admired, or even imitated; still others will envy or hate us, and even out-rightly condemn us. Therefore, we should be concerned to walk circumspectly, because of those who observe us; we were created as spectacles to the world, and must be aware of every thing that looks out of place with the character of Christ within, because we are so often observed.

The disciples of Christ were obscure men before He called them, but the character He put upon them dignified them, and as preachers of the gospel they became imposing and power-filled men and though they were reproached for it by some, they were respected for it by others, advanced to eternal thrones, and made judges for Christ.

From the very first verses of scripture (Genesis 1:3, until the final verses, Revelation 22:5) God is represented as light, He is the light that disperses darkness, and overcomes the work of the dark lord. God's Word is a lamp unto our feet, and a light for our path (Psalm 119:105) Light and dark cannot co-exist, one overpowers the other, in God there is no darkness at all. God is pure light, not diluted or mixed in any way with evil, hatred, untruth, ignorance or hostility.

What of us?  Simple, light and darkness are as incompatible in the Christian as they are in God; C. S. Lewis put it this way: "We believe that the sun is in the sky at midday in summer not because we can clearly see the sun (in fact, we cannot) but because we can see everything else. We cannot see the light; but by and in the light we see everything else".

How is your light…is it burning brightly?

I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me, and the life which I now live  in the flesh I  live by FAITH in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of Go; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. Galatians 2:20-21