August 2026

“I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness.”

~Jesus (John 8.12)

Good morning,

Imagine taking the family to a popular tourist attraction that offers no thrill rides, sells no snacks, has no sports courts, provides no hotel accommodations, and offers very few parking spaces. Sounds unimaginable, doesn’t it! Yet every year tens of millions flock to these impressive destinations.

I’m talking, of course, about America’s lighthouses. For over 300 years, these majestic beacons have served our nation proudly. Less than 800 are still operational, but many are Historic Landmarks and/or part of our National Park System.

Few man-made structures can match the indomitable strength or the towering pose of a lighthouse as it hovers above a craggy ocean cliff – standing alone, unbending, defiant, as if daring the bully sea to challenge it.

According to maritime myth, no two lighthouses are alike … and neither are their stories.

In 1716, on Little Brewster Island in outer Boston Harbor, America built its first lighthouse. Boston Light, as the locals dubbed it, provided safe passage through the treacherous rocky shoals entering Boston Harbor.

However, in 1774, as Great Britain garrisoned troops to crush the American Revolution, they seized the island and used the lighthouse for their invasion strategy.

To thwart the invaders, a small detachment of colonial troops made a midnight assault on Brewster Island and burned Boston Light to the ground.

The British troops rebuilt it … only to have it destroyed again by the colonialists. And again, the Brits rebuilt it … but this time under heavy armed guard.

By March of 1776, after their failure to quell the colonial resistance, General William Howe, called for an immediate evacuation of his 11,000 troops from Boston. And, in their hasty retreat, the Brits blew-up the lighthouse again.

Thankfully, in 1783, Boston Light was rebuilt, and today is still standing tall – completely automated, as is every other lighthouse in America. However, in 1989, to preserve its heritage, the US Congress passed an amendment that Boston Light would be the nation’s only manned lighthouse.

Take a bow, Boston Light. In fact, take two.

Lighthouses and local churches have much in common. Both exist to send out light. Both warn of dangers, seen and unseen. Both provide the lost with a path to safe harbor. And both assure those who are adrift that there’s hope within sight.

Churches – whether large or small – have a job to do, the same as lighthouses.

The Oak Island Lighthouse in North Carolina has a powerful 2.5 million candlepower beam, and is visible for 24 nautical miles. On the flipside, the Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse in Maine uses a simple 35-watt bulb, and is visible for 15 miles. Incidentally, a 12-volt battery, the kind you’ll find in your car, powers Cape Elizabeth’s back up system.

Yet, despite the disparity, both lighthouses are highly efficient.

Churches vary in age, beauty and locale – the same as lighthouses.

The Portland Head Light in Maine is considered the most photographed lighthouse in America because of its stunning natural surroundings. Meanwhile, the Stannard Rock Lighthouse in the middle of Lake Superior sits on a sunken reef 24 miles from the nearest land. In inner-circles, Stannard Rock is called “The Loneliest Place in the World.”

Yet both lighthouses save lives.

And not only are the purposes of a lighthouse and the church similar, but so is the job description for those responsible for maintaining that light.

In the bitter winter of 1881, a heavy, wind-driven ice floe sheared Maryland’s Sharps Island Lighthouse right off its foundation. For more than 16 hours, the tower bobbed like a cork five miles down Chesapeake Bay … with Christopher Butler, the lighthouse keeper, still inside. However, in all that time, Butler kept the beacon operational, warning ships of dangers … including a newly mobile and out-of-control lighthouse.

Faithfully sending The Light is what we do. The darkness needs it.

Blessings,

Ron Walters

Salem Media Group