I once was a lighthouse keeper. My husband and I served on a tiny island in an oceanic bay where tidal flows churned against a major rushing river outlet. Small sailboats and large cargo ships navigating the choppy tides past our rocky outpost depended for their safe passage on the constancy of our beacon light and the steadfastness of our foghorn. It was our responsibility to ensure that the light was always shining and the warning horn was at the ready.
Lighthouses in most places are fully automated now, but the heroic role that lightkeepers played for centuries is not forgotten. They held positions of great trust and responsibility for the safety of countless people.
Looking back on this adventurous chapter of our lives, I can’t help but see a parallel with our responsibilities today as Christian Scientists. Are we not each keepers of the beacon light of Love, and custodians of the warning foghorn of Truth? Are we not entrusted to keep the light shining so brightly and our alerts sounding so dependably that we’re able to help others navigate the challenging, often unpredictable, and hazardous waters of human experience?
