Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

—Dylan Thomas

A son’s plea for his father to fight death a little longer. As children of God, we have a similar calling to fight darkness—to not allow God’s light in us to die out. We are called by God to be lights of the world. Unfortunately, it’s easy for us to be tempted by the world and surrender our light to it.

The word “light” appears more than 300 times in the Bible. Light has over 30 definitions in the Hebrew and Greek languages alone. Being a light is obviously an important concept!

God created light out of darkness on the first day of creation—the word in Hebrew means to “illuminate.” We’ve come to understand that this is referring to a restoration of light. This means that on the first day, God cleared the atmosphere in order for sunlight to shine on earth’s surface. On the fourth day, He set two great lights in the firmament. This word for light refers to “bodies of light” that God perfectly aligned for signs, seasons, days and years (Genesis 1:14-17).

In English, the word “light” describes a range of particles and waves traveling through space. The particles are called “photons,” and the waves spread the photons out. The four basic properties required to create light are amplitude, wavelength, polarization and frequency. Using scientific concepts, lets see how these properties can illustrate aspects of God’s calling!

How bright is your light?

Photons are packets of energy that move at the speed of light (186,282 miles per second). Each photon travels along a wavelength, and the wavelength’s energy determines the brightness of the light—its amplitude. The amplitude is measured by the amount of energy found in each wave.

As God’s children, we can measure the light that we put off by the fruit that we produce. “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord: walk as children of light (for the fruit of the spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth)” (Ephesians 5:8-9). By walking as children of light, we are setting an example for others by intensifying our focus on God’s truth.

What color is your light?

To understand lights of different color, we can measure the length of a light wave and the energy of each photon carried along that wavelength. The color of light changes based on the length of the wave. This enables us to differentiate between lights with different colors, along the visible spectrum. This is also true for us if we compare white light and colored light.

The color white signifies purity throughout the Bible. David was a man after God’s own heart because he was constantly searching for purity. In Psalm 51:7 he cried out: “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” How often do we actively pursue God’s forgiveness and cleansing? Like David, we should be doing this daily.

An example of colored light is the rainbow. A visual promise that God will not destroy the earth again with a flood. I think we all get a little excited when we see a rainbow—especially if it’s a double-rainbow. For me, I think of God’s promise every time I see one. And that reminds me to be a better light for others.

What color is your light when you are at school or coming home from work? Are you a light of purity or a light of promise? As young people in the faith, we should learn to be both! If we are actively searching God’s will in our lives, He promises to take care of us and never leave our side. And that includes you!

Can you alter your light?

Light polarization is most often shown as a line moving up and down. In reality, light waves can move in any direction. The angle the wave is moving off the path is called polarization. This makes it possible to reduce glare and increase clarity.

Think about the way you approach others throughout your life. I often find it beneficial to adjust my approach based on the person I’m communicating with. Jesus Christ was flawless in this area. In Luke 10, Jesus approached Martha with humility and deep concern by saying she was upset about too many things. In Matthew 16, He confronted Peter bluntly by saying, “Get behind me Satan: you are an offense to me”—this shows His perfect diligence in God’s work.

To shine our lights more effectively, we must be ready to approach others in a manner that is most fitting for them. This requires us to get to know others better. But it also requires us to pray for humility as we approach others so that we can shine our light from many different angles.

How abundant is your light?

The frequency of light has a direct connection to the wavelength. Frequency is the number of waves per second—the more waves there are, the higher the frequency. As a result, a shorter wavelength has a much higher frequency.

When we give of ourselves according to God’s plan, He blesses that gift and multiplies it. Christ instructed His disciples, after watching a poor widow place two mites in the treasury, that she had given more than all the others because she gave from her poverty (Mark 12:42-44).

We can give many small gifts that will influence others in enormous ways. One of the biggest ways I’ve been influenced is by the Church camp program. No matter what role you’re in at camp, watching others succeed in God’s way is inspiring. We can spread this inspiration by tactfully explaining God’s Holy Days to others, by declining an invitation to Halloween or Christmas parties, by saying no to peer pressure, by standing up against bullying—the list goes on and on.

In conclusion, consider Genesis 1:5, where God called the darkness “night.” The word night in Hebrew means a “twist from the light.” Satan tempts us with a path of darkness, but “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). We should strive to walk as children of light!