One if by land and...
Illustration
"One if by land and two if by sea." With those words the patriots agreed on the signal to be given from the old church tower, a signal which would tell Paul Revere which route the British troops would take. He sat astride his horse watching, waiting for a light in the darkness to bring him the news he required to warn his countrymen. Though technology now precludes their necessity, for decade upon decade dedicated souls tended the lights which shone through the darkest of nights to warn mariners of dangerous reefs and rocky shores. Without the guiding beacon from lighthouses, countless lives might well have been lost at sea. Technology now provides satellites for navigation and communication on land and sea and in the air. But for centuries prior to ours, travelers depended on the stars to help them find their way -- little tiny lights in the vast sea of the night sky. Signal lanterns in a church tower, warning beacons from many shores, guiding stars in a midnight sky: all depended on darkness to make them visible. Perhaps that is the gift of darkness in our lives, to help focus our attention and make us aware of the Light of the World. -- Fannin
