In June of 2012, I had the opportunity to serve on a mission trip to China. The city where we ministered was Liuzhou, which, at the time, had a population of approximately five million people. One of the lasting impressions I brought home from that trip was a profound sense of spiritual darkness. It was difficult to describe, but it felt palpable.

The reason was simple. According to the missionaries serving there, the city may have had only around 100 known Christians. That means only about 0.002% of the population was indwelled by the Holy Spirit. Walking through such a vast city with so few believers gave me a greater appreciation for the influence Christians have on the communities where they live. Even with all the challenges and problems we face in the United States, we still experience many blessings that come from the presence of Bible-believing Christians living out their faith in their homes, workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods.

During our 2026 Vacation Bible School, one of our Bible study teachers shared a simple yet powerful illustration that beautifully demonstrated the difference between light and darkness.

She gave each student a small finger flashlight and asked them to test it to make sure it worked. Then, with the help of another volunteer, the lights in the room were turned off. In the darkness, the teacher whispered to the nearest student, “Jesus loves you.” That student was instructed to turn on their flashlight and point it toward the ceiling. Then they whispered the same message to the student beside them: “Jesus loves you.” As each child heard the message, they turned on their light and passed the message along to the next person.

One by one, the lights began to appear. What started as a dark room was soon illuminated by a dozen small lights shining upward. The transformation was remarkable. Darkness gave way to light, all because the message of Jesus was shared from one person to another.

What a beautiful picture of the Christian life. When Christ saves us, He places His light within us through the Holy Spirit. We are not called to hide that light but to let it shine. As we share the love of Jesus with others, His light spreads from heart to heart, life to life, and generation to generation.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:14, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” Every believer has the privilege and responsibility of reflecting the light of Christ into a dark world. We may feel that our light is small, but when many believers faithfully shine together, the darkness cannot prevail.

The next time you turn on a flashlight, remember that God has called you to be a light-bearer. Share the message of Christ. Shine where He has placed you. You never know how far one simple act of obedience may spread the light of the gospel.