The Pastor and the Lighthouse

There was an up-and-coming, flourishing town on the western banks of the Pacific Ocean. It was not too big, but it had wide clean streets, wooded parks and its neighborhoods were rapidly growing.

The white sandy beach was like a ribbon between the green hills and the blue sea. And it was from the sea that the village people made their living: fishing.

Each night, the boats swept the waters with their nets. They picked up so much fish, that factories moved in and began exporting the fish.

An old lighthouse stood at the entrance to the bay. For years its light served to guide the fishermen’s boats into the bay during the dark stormy nights.

In this town, there was a church. It was the only church in the whole town. The pastor struggled with all his might to raise the people’s awareness of the Gospel and the Judgment of God. Few paid him any attention and still fewer attended his meetings. But he never discouraged.

He woke up early and spent his days praying on the altar, visiting the sick and counseling. Yet every day, at exactly five o'clock in the afternoon, he would go up and turn on the lighthouse light.

As the city grew, so did the businesses. The boats were now more modern and they were able to bring in more fish. The sea had an amazing abundance of fish. The more boats docked at bay, the more fish appeared in the waters. No one returned empty handed. Whether the night was clear or dark, all you had to do was pull the net out of the waters and the wealth that moved the city came flowing right out.

One bright Saturday morning, the pastor passed away of old age. Nobody noticed, except for the church members. The hardworking warrior of faith parted from this world the same way he lived in it, very much unnoticed.

After their loss, the church members came together and sent a letter to the mayor, asking him to send another pastor. However, they received no response.

The mayor was very, very busy. A large fish market was being built to meet the needs of buyers that were coming in from all over the world. Most of them were representatives of large American factories hoping to close lucrative business deals. There were also plans for a new school and the expansion of the local hospital. With so many important projects, it was quite difficult to get the mayor’s attention.

When everything seemed to be thriving, the fish became scarce. The nets that once were pulled from the water filled with fish now came up empty. In the beginning, nobody paid much attention because the stocks were full. But over time, the problem has worsened. The boats went out to sea, sweeping every inch of the ocean, but without success.

The market became empty. The factories closed and the workers were fired. The new school construction came to a stop and so did the hospital expansion. Many experts were consulted, but it was all in vain. Nobody knew for sure what was going on; the fact is that the fish was no longer coming up on the nets.

Worried, the fishermen continued in their fight. They continued going out every night hoping their luck would change. During one of those nights, a storm quickly formed without them noticing. The sea became rough and the sky became dark with clouds. Unable to see in the darkness, one of the boats crashed into the lighthouse because of a violent wave. The captain was unable to see the lighthouse because since the pastor’s death no one had turned it on.

The next morning, the mayor sat heartbroken in his office. He had tried everything in his power but was unsuccessful. Thoughtful and discouraged, he looked down on the table and saw the church members’ letter. It read:

"Mr. Mayor, we, the members of the only church in our community, sadly report the death of our pastor. In his ministry, he prayed every day for our town and asked God for the abundance of fish in the sea.
He lit the lighthouse every evening because he was concerned with the fishermen and wanted to help guide safely through the dark nights. If we don’t get another man of God to bless our fishing boats and light the lighthouse, the fish will dry up and we run the risk of wrecking our ships on the rocks during the dark nights."

The mayor found the answer he was looking for. The facts were now clear and understandable. "How could I have been unaware of this man and his work?” he asked himself.

That’s when he understood that the pastor was like a lighthouse, which does not shine the light on himself, but on the waves, in order to illuminate the paths of others. His anonymous work had an immense value.

The pastor should be a lighthouse, lit by God. He should not illuminate himself in search of glory from this world. Instead, he casts his light, so that others can find God. Because of his prayers, blessings are achieved and problems are avoided.

Often, we only become aware of this after we’ve lost them and we’re faced with problems. We can only learn from this, the importance of the prayer of a man of God. Isn’t that what the Word of God says?

"So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one." (Ezekiel 22:30)