Everything is quiet. The sea is calm. The ship feels its way through the dark night. Not one star can be seen. As night falls, fog has rolled in. We actually wanted to reach the harbour by evening, but a lull cost us many hours. Where is the coast? It must be very close by. Everyone stares intently into the darkness and the fog. Is there a glimmer of light anywhere? Even the usually exuberant chief mate is silent. The waves splash softly against the ship's side. There are shallows here, but we have to reach the city as quickly as possible because we have people on board with a fever. The ship's doctor doesn't know what to do. But just as the captain was about to drop anchor because continuing the journey would endanger the whole crew, the lookout shouts: "A light! I see a light on the port side!" Suddenly the other sailors, the captain and the mate can also see the tiny twinkle in the distance. We drop anchor. We fetch the sick and launch the boats. With our combined strength, we row towards the light. We are saved!
Which way?
Ever since man has travelled by sea, he has used orientation aids such as the stars, the position of the sun or ocean currents, as there are no landmarks such as mountains, rivers, plains, hills or special trees like on land. Even in a huge „sea of sand“ like the Sahara or the Gobi Desert, it is not always easy to find the way to the next oasis.
Over time, devices such as the compass and the sextant were invented and accurate clocks were extremely important for seafaring – but these are relatively recent inventions. At some point before that, someone had the idea of lighting a fire on a high tower so that ships could orientate themselves at sea. For example, the Pharos lighthouse in Egypt. This is still the case today.
What is the way?
You have to venture out to sea to need the lighthouse.
People are often on the move. And when they are, it’s usually not just because they’re travelling to a destination. To work, to the supermarket, home, to friends. And often to unknown destinations: on holiday, to a job interview in a big city. And in the past, when there was still a lot to discover, to unknown, uninhabited parts of the world. Those were the adventurers among us who ventured out to sea in nutshells. For the less adventurous, there are aids such as maps, navigation systems – or even lighthouses.
Do you sometimes feel like you don’t know what to do next in your life? Are you unclear where your path is taking you? Are you unable to decide on an alternative? To get married or not? Quit your job and try something new? Emigrate? Move house? Who do you trust? What is the meaning of life? What happens after that? You also have to make less serious decisions again and again.
Where do you look for guidance? With friends? On the internet? On Facebook? In Buddhism, Islam, Christianity? Or in science? How are you supposed to know what’s right?
A little digression
Lighthouses
Number worldwide: approx. 15,000 - 20,000 units
Country with the most lighthouses: USA, then Canada, Great Britain, France and Japan
Highest lighthouse in the world: Jeddah Light or Jeddah Tower Lighthouse or the Jeddah Corniche Lighthouse (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia), approx. 133 metres high
Highest lighthouse in Germany: Wangerooge Lighthouse, also known as the "Little Lighthouse", approx. 41 metres high, built in 1856
Oldest lighthouse in the world: Pharos lighthouse (Egypt), approx. 300 BC, it stood for approx. 1600 years; the Colossus of Rhodes (Greece), approx. 300 BC, it stood for approx. 80 years
Visibility: approx. 9 - 35 km
Highest lighthouse: Faro de Puno (Peru) at an altitude of 3810 m
Lighting: in ancient times with wood or coal, later oil lamps, gas lamps and carbon arc lamps, today metal halide lamps or LED technology
On the right: Cape Hatteras lighthouse, at 64 metres the tallest in the USA
A view from the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (1998):
This is the way!
Follow Jesus
Another time, Jesus said to the people: „I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not wander in darkness, but will have the light that leads to life.“
John 8:12
„My Lighthouse“ – this is the title of a song by Rend Collective (see below). It describes how Jesus is our lighthouse in the dark. He says of Himself that He is the light of the world and that we should follow Him. Following does not mean that I only recognise Jesus as an inspiring teacher with high moral standards and a doctrine of peace. Following means that Jesus is the Lord in my life, that I follow His example, that I love Him, that I trust Him, that He may lead me, that I recognise Him as the Son of God and that this has an effect on my thoughts and actions, that I believe that He paid for my guilt on the cross, that I accept the omnipotence of God, that I enter into a relationship with Him.
Just as you can’t just follow the lighthouse a little, you can’t just follow a little. At some point you will run aground.
When Jesus called the disciples 2000 years ago, they left everything behind and followed Him. They also had families and professions, but were prepared to give their all. Of course, they also took care of everyday things. But when Jesus needed them, they were there (with all their rough edges and faults). They went the whole hog and all but one died a martyr’s death. They really gave EVERYTHING.
What does that look like for you? Or with me? How far are we prepared to go?
Orientation towards God’s word
Your word is like a light in the night that illuminates my path.
Psalm 119:105
The Word of God – the Bible – should be the lighthouse for our actions and guide our path. God gives us the commandments, Jesus is a role model through His life and His teaching shows us how God wants us to live. We can always ask ourselves „What would Jesus do?“ when we have to make decisions, are in conflict situations, are treated badly or no longer know what to do. Jesus should be the point of orientation in our lives.
That's how I felt when I was faced with the question of whether to do civilian service or join the army. I asked God, then "coincidentally" it was the turn of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) in the Bible reading. The last verse of the parable is: "Go, therefore, and do likewise." Then it was clear to me: the army! No, fun. Then I became a civilian.
When I came to faith at the confirmation camp: I gave my life to Jesus during a time of prayer and we were then allowed to draw cards with Bible verses. On my stand was Jeremiah 31:3: I have loved you always, therefore I have drawn you to myself out of sheer goodness. That was God's answer to my prayer...
That’s not all: the Word of God is like a spotlight that shines on our darkest sides and exposes sins and mistakes. It’s not always nice when we discover that we make mistakes. And much of it we would prefer to leave in the dark. After all, nobody needs to know. But very often we are burdened with guilt – unless our conscience is completely numb. And guilt weighs us down and imprisons us, which can even lead to an unhealthy lifestyle such as alcohol abuse. But when guilt comes to light, it is a good thing, because then we can apologise to God and/or people, take the blame and change our behaviour. We become free.
Often the answers are not clear – at least that’s how I feel. But trusting in God, I can continue on my path. I believe that He will guide the circumstances and everything accordingly as He wants it and bring me to my destination, even if I accidentally take a wrong turn.
Relationship with God
Frankly, a relationship with God sounds strange to an outsider at first. How can you have a relationship with an invisible being? And no: we are not talking about an imaginary girlfriend!
God wants to connect with us humans – He created us in His image and lived with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 2ff) – but this direct relationship was disrupted. But God has created a new path to Him:
For God loved people so much that He gave His only Son for them. Everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son to mankind to judge them, but to save them.
Johannes 3:16-17
When I enter into a relationship with a person, I talk to them, trust them, listen to them, spend time with them – you can do all of this with God in the same way. The talking and listening is simply called „prayer“ or „Bible reading“ or „worship (singing)„, but otherwise it is basically the same.
Jesus cleared the way for this relationship through His sacrifice on the cross, because otherwise it would not be possible for us guilt-ridden people to come into contact with God. God is holy and we are sinful – that would not go together.
And the way to connect with God is through the Holy Spirit:
God himself has placed our lives and yours on a firm foundation, on Christ, and filled us with his Spirit. In this way, he imprinted his seal on us and we became his property. The gift of the Spirit in our hearts is God’s sure pledge for what he will yet give us.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
This is not the way!
There is a legend about the village of „Nags Had“ on the Outer Banks off the east coast of the USA that shipwrecked people used false beacons to lure ships into the shallows of the island chain in order to plunder the grounded ships. This is how people „earned“ their living.
There are all kinds of luminous creatures in the deep sea. One fish, the deep-sea frogfish, attracts other fish with its light. As soon as they come near its mouth, that’s it – the prey is dead and its hunger satisfied.
Not everything that seems great and beautiful actually is. There are plenty of wrong turns we can take. And there are enough evil contemporaries who shamelessly exploit this. At best, all we get out of it is our money.
There are also aberrations in the spiritual world. Not all religions lead to the goal. Jesus said:
„No, Lord,“ Thomas contradicted him, „we don’t even know where you are going! So how are we supposed to find our way there?“ Jesus replied: „I am the way, I am the truth and I am the life! Without me, no one can come to the Father.
John 14:5-6
There is only one way, even if the others may seem easier, freer and more comfortable. Many people today simply don’t seem to care: What do I care about God and faith? I don’t need them. I live in the here and now. Everything else is humbug. I’m taking everything here with me. I only have this one life. On the other hand, everyone has the feeling that there is more than meets the eye and the ear. God put this feeling in us so that we would seek Him („He has put in the heart of man the desire to seek what is eternal„, from Ecclesiastes 3:11). Many ignore it or fill it up with all kinds of spiritual exercises. But ultimately, only the path via Jesus leads to the goal. Jesus has cleared the way so that we can enter into a relationship with the Creator of the universe. That is what it is all about, not a compulsory religious programme.
If we don’t want to go, He will let us. Is it better for us to go our own way? I don’t think so…
Song: My lighthouse
The End
Radio message at sea
Source: unknown
„Unidentified vessel, this is the aircraft carrier USS Gerald A. Ford. You are on a collision course.“
„We know that. Please change course!„
„Never! We’re the US Navy – we don’t swerve!“
„But that would be better for you. You should turn round. We can’t do that.„
„Listen to me! We’re one of the largest aircraft carriers in the world. There are 80 aircraft on board, a crew of 4,500 and we’re 100,000 GRT – YOU’RE CHANGING COURSE!!!“
„No. We are a lighthouse.„
