Lightning and Lightning Bug
By S M Chen, posted Nov 25, 2015
LIGHTNING AND LIGHTNING BUG
“The day will come when, after harnessing space, the winds, the tides, and gravitation, we shall harness for God the energies of love. And on that day, for the second time in the history of the world, we shall have discovered fire.” – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Mark Twain, celebrated humorist and writer, opined, “The difference between almost the right word and the right one is the difference between a lightning bug and lightning.”
I actually find lightning bugs (or fireflies) to be rather fascinating little creatures/beetles, with their highly efficient cold bioluminescence (biologist Sara Lewis explains their light production thusly: luciferase + luciferin + oxygen = light). The root word, Lucifer, or light bearer, is familiar to readers.
However, I’m absolutely awed by lightning, so I understand what Mark Twain was getting at.
Just as we choose our words, whether spoken or written, we choose thoughts, which often become our actions. And actions determine our destiny.
I would like to posit that it is not unreasonable to substitute ‘action’ for ‘word’ in Twain’s assessment.
Holy Writ is replete with tales of men and women who made the right choice, did the right thing. And those who didn’t. Sometimes people made the wrong choice, but then changed. And vice-versa.
Eve was beguiled by a serpent. A talking one, no less. No wonder Eve was fascinated. At some point she reasoned that what the serpent said made sense. And she partook of the fruit. Lightning bug.
Adam, on the other hand, was not beguiled. He realized what Eve had done. But because he loved her (and one was the loneliest number), he decided that her fate should be theirs. Another lightning bug.
Abel chose lightning. And was struck down, not by it but by his brother Cain, who chose the lightning bug. Adam and Eve now saw with awful clarity the vast gulf between good and evil.
Noah opted for lightning, and his ark was likely subjected to it, as well as thunder and torrential rain, during the Deluge. Those who watched him build the ark – indeed, the entirety of humankind aside from those aboard the ark – did not so choose, and their lights were snuffed out.
Abraham, from whom sprang the three great monotheistic religions (Christianity, Judaism and Islam), had his moments of lightning bug – claiming Sarah was his sister rather than his wife, not once but twice; having a child by Hagar – but his life was largely one of lightning.
Moses was largely lightning. But sometimes more the bug, as when he killed an Egyptian and struck a rock to supply water in the wilderness when he’d been instructed to speak to it.
Samson. What a mixture. He could have been lightning. And was, at times. But at others, it was the lure of the lightning bug (and Delilah) that drew him.
Largely lightning, David started off with great promise but was vulnerable to the bug, which led to breaking two seminal commandments of the Decalogue. Yet God called him a man after His own heart, more lightning than lightning bug.
Solomon had an auspicious beginning, one of lightning. But he got bitten by the bug with regard to 1000 wives and concubines (no, don’t do the math), who led him astray.
Islam allows a man to have up to four wives. When I lived in a Moslem country, one of the servants, with Solomonic wisdom, opined, “More than one wife drives a man crazy.”
Nebuchadnezzar’s story is fascinating. Despite an epiphany which allowed him to recognize Christ in the fiery furnace with the three Hebrew worthies, and having a dream of premonition, he was, like many of us, headstrong, and it wasn’t until he lost his sanity for seven years (eating grass like oxen, hair and nails long and unkempt) that he finally regained it and the throne. Fire becomes firefly becomes fire.
Mary Magdalene started off decidedly lightning bug, but, after falling multiple times, she glimpsed and grasped the power of lightning.
Particularly poignant is the rich young ruler’s rejecting Christ’s invitation to join Him on the road of service and to Life. And of King Agrippa telling the apostle Paul, ‘Almost thou persuadest me.’ Lightning bugs, both.
In examining the lives of those who went before us, in some instances we might be tempted to conclude, ‘He or she knew right from wrong, or should have.’
But life is not always black and white. Sometimes it’s shades of gray. Many actions probably seemed right at the time to those who chose lightning bug over lightning.
Holy Writ recognizes the dilemma many face. ‘There is a way which seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death.’ – Prov. 14:12.
Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard put it this way: “One of the difficulties of life is that it is only properly understood in retrospect, but it must be lived in prospect.”
What seems most crucial is life’s terminus. The penitent thief on the cross to Christ’s right is a classic example. Along with the thief to Christ’s left, he started out ridiculing Jesus on Golgotha. It was not until later that day that he had a change of heart and defended Christ to the other thief. Lightning bug becomes lightning.
One can only hope that, with grace, the scales will fall from our eyes, our ears might hear, and our hearts will be transformed from ones of stone to flesh, and we will discern the right path from the almost right path, and choose lightning over lightning bug, fire over firefly.
I really enjoyed the way this article was written and the juxtaposition (perhaps)or antithetical (perhaps more likely) or maybe even both, of lightning and lightning bug as represented by the choices we make. It is this “seeing through a glass darkly” that causes the confusion and as the author said, we choose the right path as opposed to the almost right path. I have said more than once that I believe everyone makes choices based on what they believe at the time of their peculiar circumstance is the “right thing to do”, however, they are able to justify that, and however, horrific the consequences. There are those that argue that concept; however, our biggest problem in discerning is that our ways are not God’s ways and His ways are higher than our ways. We can learn to discern His ways by learning to “hear” the whisper of the “still small voice” of the Holy Spirit in our hearts (ears) and obeying His ways. This only way to know what God’s word actually says is to not accept what others say it says and ask God for wisdom to rightly divide and understand it. Then we have to get that understanding/knowing that is in our head down in our heart, because out of the heart the mouth speaks and what we say is most likely what we will do. It’s a bit like driving a car in that where the eye looks is where the car goes. May we pray continually asking God to help us have ears to hear and eyes to see and know the difference between the lightning and the lightning bug.
Dear S.M> Chen,
It is great to be, or to do, a lightning; but let’s not despise the importance of the lightning bug. if we can harness the right amount of bugs we might well get the equivalent of a lightning.
In the rural community where I spent my boyhood days, I was guided safely home at crucial times by the power of the lightning bugs. On the other hand, I have seen lives lost, and property destroyed by lightning.
Appreciate the value of the lightning bug; but beware of the lightning! There is a place and a time for everything.
It was not my intention to, in any way, disparage lightning bugs. I find them rather charming. I was attempting to find a spiritual application of Mark Twain’s observation. Fireflies may have inadvertently suffered by comparison. I liken lightning to the Almighty, in that I admit to being (appropriately) awestruck by both.
In presenting the “lightning” of Noah,the writer states,”The multitudes to which he preached during the many decades it took to build the ark…”
Can anyone guide me to a bible text which tells that Noah preached to any one during the many decades he spent building the ark?
Noah was asked to build an ark to save his righteous soul, and that of his family. I can find no biblical evidence to indicate that he preached, or that he was asked to preach while he built.
I direct you to 2 Peter 2:5. Here Holy Writ describes Noah as a ‘preacher of righteousness.’ However, I grant that this does not say that Noah preached whilst the ark was being built.
I also direct you to “Spiritual Gifts” by E G White. Vol. 3, chapter 10. The Flood, beginning p. 64. You can likely find it online (I did).
Spiritual Gifts. Volume 3 : Page 64
10. The Flood
More than one hundred years before the flood the Lord sent an angel to faithful Noah to make known to him that he would no longer have mercy upon the corrupt race. But he would not have them ignorant of his
65
design. He would instruct Noah and make him a faithful preacher to warn the world of its coming destruction, that the inhabitants of the earth might be left without excuse. Noah was to preach to the people, and also to prepare an ark as God should direct him for the saving of himself and family. He was not only to preach, but his example in building the ark was to convince all that he believed what he preached.
Noah and his family were not alone in fearing and obeying God. But Noah was the most pious and holy of any upon the earth, and was the one whose life God preserved to carry out his will in building the ark and warning the world of their coming doom. Methuselah, the grandfather of Noah, lived until the very year of the flood, and there were others who believed the preaching of Noah, and aided him in building the ark, who died before the flood of waters came upon the earth. Noah, by his preaching and example in building the ark, condemned the world. God gave all an opportunity who chose to repent and turn to him. But they believed not the preaching of Noah. They mocked at his warnings, and ridiculed the building of that immense boat on dry land. Noah’s efforts to reform his fellow men did not succeed…
Brother Macsamrad,thank you for your first bit of explanation at 6:07pm. I think I understood the lesson you were trying to teach; but my intention was to show another side of the dice, with a different emphasis.
Thank you also for the references you gave at 6:15 pm. Indeed,2 Peter refers to Noah as a preacher, but, as you correctly observed, there was no indication that he preached while he was building the ark. Your quote from Mrs White was noted as well; but it may interest you to know that I admire Mrs White as a writer, considering the limited period of formal education she was afforded. What she wrote there is not biblical. Some of the same sentiments are in Patriarchs and Prophets,ch.7, entitled The “Flood”.You perhaps expect me, as an SDA, to accept her statements as facts. They may be, but I prefer to rely on my Bible for this type of information. Indeed, she has built a beautiful story around Noah’s life,much not in the Bible. She has done the same thing in the third chapter of the same book(P&P), reflecting the views of John Milton in his book “Paradise Lost”,written some 200 years before EGW. We do not accept Milton as a prophet, nor do we recognise his works as being inspired as we do Sis. White’s. If she can copy from the works of writers,who we do not believe were inspired, I do not see why we must regard her works as being inspired in the sense some people want us to regard them. Give me the Bible.
It depends on your definition of “inspired.” Many of the writers used were also inspired. The biblical “preacher of righteousness” makes sense to me as one who preached or warned the results of not being righteous. I think it is permissible to interpret within reason and pray about it.
I like the idea (it makes sense to me)that Noah and his family were saved because they were God’s last communication with the earth. When Noah died the earth would have belonged to the adversary, and he would have won. It doesn’t say that, but it is also a common sense fact. I think there are gems of insight in the Bible we have to dig out.
EM, you are not clear enough for my limited understanding. You said “many of the writers used were also inspired”. Are you referring to the writers whose work was copied by EG.White? And are you saying that among the writers from whom she copied, some were inspired and others were not?
I have no problem with Noah being called a “preacher of righteousness”. He is described in the bible as a preacher of righteousness. Macsamrad said that Noah preached throughout the many decades while he was building the ark; and I asked for a biblical reference to support that statement. If you have a biblical reference, I shall be very grateful to you for it, EM.
I wonder if God was disappointed by his preacher of righteousness! Not too long after Noah exited the ark, he lost his righteous self control, and left himself naked drunk on the floor of his tent. If he preached to his children and grand children, they did not take him seriously; because soon after we find the earth again overrun by evil. All the righteousness of Noah did not ensure us a world free from evil.
The entry about Noah in the essay has been modified and now conforms more closely to Holy Writ.
Brother Macsamrad, I remember also when I was a teenager, there was among my seniors an application of the prediction made by Jesus in Matthew 24:37-39. Many of them held that Jesus would return in, or before the year 1964. When I asked my mother to explain the reason for such belief, she quoted Matthew 24;37 for me; and explained that Noah preached for 120 years while he built the ark. At the end of 120 years the flood came upon the earth, and destroyed it. But my mother expected Jesus to return before 1964, because the three angels’messages started to be preached in 1844; and God promised to cut short His work in righteousness,so it will result in Christ’s return before 1964. My mother lived long after 1964, without seeing her hope fulfilled.
It seems to me that Jesus was emphasising the suddenness of His return. The people in Noah’s time were living their lives, going about their careless living,not knowing, or caring to know that their life was swiftly coming to a close. It is a lesson for us to live in full surrender to God every moment of our days. It also teaches us that if we misread our Bible, we can hurt ourselves and our cause.
Indeed, the modification does greater justice to your cause. Thank you.