Keepers Of The Light

by Dorothy Teague

I’m a pushover when it comes to anything Irish since that’s my ancestry. I love the music, the dance, the accent, the culture. So, when I came across a new animated movie called “Riverdance,” I was intrigued. The story revolves around Keegan, an Irish boy who has just lost his grandfather, the lighthouse keeper. Keegan was being trained to take care of the lighthouse. Before his death, he warned Keegan to always make sure the

light was lit in order to keep the darkness away and not let the Huntsman in. Keegan scoffed and thought it was just an old Irish story. Being heartsick after the death of his grandfather, he refused to mind the warning and did not keep the light lit. So, under cover of darkness, the Huntsman snuck in and sought to spread darkness everywhere, but was stopped by Keegan and a herd of magical deer. (There is a journey into a magical place that contains spirit deer, which has its roots in other beliefs that are not Christian). At the end of the movie, the wise old deer told Keegan that he was truly a “Keeper of Light.” It was hard for me to miss the parallel to the Christian life.

Satan is a Huntsman. 1 Peter 5:8 reminds us to “be watchful, because the devil is a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” He is darkness and tries to deceive others, filling their heart and mind with darkness, causing them to be unable to see the truth of Christ. Christians are keepers of The Light, the Holy Spirit placed within us when we are saved. He is the light that shines out from us through our words and actions. John 8:12 tells us that Jesus said, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of Life.” John 1:5 says, “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” Nothing that Satan throws at us can snuff out the light that Jesus gives. We can be witnesses to a dark world when we have Jesus in our hearts. As the saying goes, “The darker the night, the brighter the light.” As children, we are naturally afraid of the dark, and sometimes as adults, the dark can be intimidating. Like Keegan, we sometimes become rebellious and don’t want to heed warnings to keep the darkness out of our lives. We get lost in the everyday stuff that life becomes and sometimes lose our way from the path we should be on. 1 Thessalonians 5:5 reminds us that “we are children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.” We need to “let our light shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify the Father” (Matthew 5:16). We must be about the Father’s business, drawing others to Him through our witness and testimony. Above all, we must not forget that we are “Keepers of The Light!”

About The Author

Dorothy Teague is a Tennessee native, who resides in McMinn County with her husband, Lewis, on their farm. After completing 31.5 years as a teacher in the Bradley County School System, she is active in her church at Eastanallee Baptist Church where she is a member of the choir and praise team.