Last evening (actually, early this morning) I (that is, we) had the most disorientating feeling. In spite of the mist we decided to drive to Ynyslas beach to watch shooting stars. A bit crazy, but we hoped it might be a bit clearer there. We ended up on the beach in the pitch black and in a mist. (Plus I wasn’t sure if the tide was in or out. So we also had to try not to drive into the water. I then checked as we left. The tide was in.) I’ve been there several times but when I got out of the car to try and work out where we were it was hopeless. The car ended up facing a line of posts with a couple of No Entry signs (The posts and signs can just about be made out in the picture). That was impossible I thought. We had gone, so I thought, in the other direction. I decided to get out of the car again and walk back to where I thought the entrance / exit should be (given the signs) despite thinking how impossible it was that we’d gone in completely the opposite direction. With the torch on my phone I found the exit. I walked back to the car and said ‘Turn round and follow me.’ That’s exactly what happened. I then got back in the car and we drove home.
Ridiculous I know, but it was really a very very uncomfortable feeling albeit briefly. What amazed us was how quickly we were effectively lost and completely disorientated. There was no one else there. There were no lights, no points of reference and completely pitch black and in a mist with water out there somewhere!
It’s not perfect, but there’s an obvious Gospel application here. We’ve no idea how it happened but we were facing the wrong way. We’re born facing the wrong way. We live our lives with no reference point. Then comes the time we realise we are lost in a dark uncomfortable world. We need a guide. We need light. We need to turn round (repent). If we don’t, there’s no getting out. I could say all sorts of things like how the No Entry signs represent the law of God and tell us we’re wrong, but I won’t. Instead, I simply want to say this: The Lord Jesus Christ through the Bible is our true guide.
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12.