the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
Click here to join the effort!
Daily Devotionals
Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life
Amazingly, one of the farthest points east in the continental United States is the small town of Lubec, Maine. Lubec has a few hundred residents and yet is well known in a number of circles. Lubec is home to one of the most famous lighthouses in the United States. The name of that light is what seems so odd considering the location of Lubec. The light is called the West Quoddy Head Light.
The current lighthouse was not erected until 1858. A rubblestone lighthouse existed there from 1808 until that time. It was authorized by President Thomas Jefferson as a need was expressed for safety for those mariners who frequented the easternmost point of the U. S. The tower is a stout structure of some forty-nine feet in height with horizontal red and white stripes. This is a practice borrowed from Canadian lights which made them more readily visible in the snow. West Quoddy Head Light and Assateague Light in Virginia are the only two light towers painted this way in the U. S.
The West Quoddy Head Light remained a manned light until 1988 when it became automated. Maurice Babcock, Jr., a resident of Lubec, said of the automation, "It's like losing a species of animal or plant. Once it's gone, it's gone. All we have is a tower down there run by computer chips." In 1998 the light station became the property of the State of Maine under the Maine Lights Program.
The original keepers of the light were civilians. However, beginning with Robert Brooks (c. 1949) and ending with Malcolm Rouse (1988) the light keepers were from the U. S. Coast Guard. It is still maintained by the Coast Guard as an active aid to navigation. Even though it is almost 200 years old it still serves a purpose. Why? Because there are those people who travel the coast that need to see the light to be able to navigate the coast safely. The light never goes out of fashion when people want a safe harbor.
"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shined in the darkness and the darkness could not stop it." John 1:4, 5 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven." Matthew 5:14, 16 People are seeking a safe harbor for their lives. Are we the closest point where they can be shown the Light? Are we still shining brightly for Him?
'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' Copyright 2010 © Tom Kelley. 'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' articles may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions: 1) A proper credit must be given to the author at the end of each story, along with their complete bio and a link to https://www.studylight.org/ 2) 'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' content may not be arranged or "mirrored" as a competitive online service.
