Rjukan, Norway.
Unless you are really into geography, that may be a place you have never heard of. I have always liked the idea of travel and reading about remote places, so when I heard of this town only the size of 640 acres, it captured my attention.
But, it had nothing to do with its gorgeous mountain views, spectacular cascading waterfall, or even the small country village feel. It had everything to do with light.
You see, for the most part, Rjukan consisted for years and years of only a few farms. It wasn't until a hydroelectric power plant was built that the little village began to move up in the world. Before long there was a hydrogen plant, a train station, and a town hall. By that time the 640 acres were accommodating over 8,000 residents!
A village that was ultimately developed by the industrial revolution, would not legally become an actual town until 1996, and while things seemed to be "looking up" so to speak, Rjukan still had one depressing little problem.
You see, Rjukan is geographically located in a valley that lies between two very large mountains.
Because of its location, from September through March, the town is in a constant shadow.
Sunlight does not shine on Rjukan because it is blocked by the tallest southern mountain called Gaustatoppen. Therefore, the residents often experience things like depression, melancholy, and even health problems due to a lack of vitamin D which is acquired through sunlight.
While some people had just accepted the very dim state they lived in, in 1913, one resident and local factory worker suggested making giant mirrors to reflect the sun and shine it down into the town.
His idea was widely rejected, and it wasn't until 100 years later, in 2013, that the town revisited the idea first introduced and brought the vision to life. Atop the mountain sits giant mirrors that track the sun's movement throughout the day and shine sunlight directly into the town square, bringing light to all the residents.
What an ingenious idea! I thought quite a lot about this town last week while I was on a mission trip in El Salvador.
I trekked up mountains to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to little communities that were in darkness not because of a lack of the sun, but because of the lack of the SON. Those people were experiencing despair, depression, poverty, and hopelessness not because they were without the benefit of the light, but because they were without the salvation that IS the light.
As Christians we are given the Great Commission, to go forth into all the world and preach the gospel.
Not just to those abroad, but to those who are near. Not just to the foreigner, but to the friend. Not just to the stranger, but to the family.
We are to do so because we are a "chosen people" who are to point others to Jesus, who brought us from that same darkness into His light. (1 Peter 2:9)
What if we were to live like no one else on earth could bring the message of salvation except for us? Can you imagine how powerful that light would be?
There is a hurting world that is waiting for you and me to "bring the light."
No giant mirrors situated on a hill can bring real hope to a hurting world, but those who carry the gospel of peace can! (Romans 10:15 )
Dawn Hayes is mother of 4, grandmother to 3 and she and her husband pastor at New Hope Assembly of God in Senatobia. She has been writing “Sips from the Well” since 2015.
