The story is told of a blind girl in France who loved listening to a children’s radio program narrated by a man who called himself “the Professor.” He taught them to seek truth and beauty in the world around them. As times grew darker, he continued to encourage them to hold onto truth with courage. He told the world, “The most important light is the light you cannot see. Darkness lasts for not even one second when you turn on the light.”
During World War 2, the blind girl, now grown, followed in the professor’s footsteps, continuing the radio broadcasts, even though they were strictly forbidden by the Nazis, punishable by death. She shared hope in the darkness and the light of truth, even though, ironically, she could not see physically.
The movie title, “All the Light We Cannot See,”1 represents the hope that help would come. Hope gave strength to those in the Resistance, who bravely put themselves in danger for the sake of better things to come and for the good of their beloved country.
The symbolism in this movie so strongly reminded me of the Light of the World that we hold onto in the darkness. It’s not a physical light, but one we can see with spiritual eyes, just as the blind girl saw the light of hope in the kindnesses shared by others. Light, in a Biblical sense, represents truth, goodness, and guidance.
Darkness, on the opposite side, represents deception, bondage, evil, and wickedness. This is the battle of the ages, between good and evil, truth and lies, light and darkness. The enemy soldiers exhibited cold indifference to human suffering, inhumane violence, hatred, and an utterly unwavering allegiance to an even higher authority. This perfectly describes the enemy of our souls, who comes to kill and destroy, like a roaring lion.2 He is the father of lies, 3 skilled in deception, relentless in attacking all who follow Christ.
BUT, for those of us who serve our beloved Master, Jesus, the Son of God, the fact remains that He who is in us is greater and more powerful by far than the demonic forces in our world.4 We have the light of life, Jesus, who is the Light of the world. Whoever follows Him will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life. 5 His light shines in the darkest of places, breaks through prison walls of depression, deception, addiction, and fear. When our own sin wars against us and holds us captive, God’s forgiveness frees us from that slippery slope of destruction.
Yes, it is true that “the most important light is the light you cannot see.” It is the invisible light shining from Jesus’ words that light our path, the light of truth that temporarily blinded and then transformed Saul on the road to Damascus; it is the healing Light who opened the eyes of the spiritually blind. Jesus’ light brings us truth, goodness, joy, and life eternal. Jesus’ light dispels the darkness of conflict, shining ever brighter today and for all our tomorrows.
1 (Currently on Netflix); 2 John 10:10, 1 Peter 5:8; 3 John 8:44; 4 1 John 4:4; 5 John 8:12;