He made the night a little brighter / Wherever he / would go / The old lamplighte / Of long, long ago—I heard the song, and thought, “Well, someone dug up this neat romantic song from a couple of centuries ago. How nice!” I looked it up. Nope. It was written in 1946. That was after WW II ! — sixty years after electric street lights pretty well replaced the nostalgic Lamplighter. For tourist reasons, some cities across the world still employ a lamplighter.
But I digress. Nostalgic, romantic, whatever, there are life lessons within the song. In darkening times, when trust wanes, and relationships—personal as well as regional—-become strained, we need a little light. Entangled political parties, angry nations, and even stressed neighborhoods easily become darkened by clouds of doubt and distrust.
The Cold War held dark clouds of fear and uncertainty over the US as well as the world. When President George H.W. Bush was inaugurated in 1989, In his address he called for “…a thousand points of lights...”(borrowed from Arthur C. Clarke’s short story “Rescue Party,” May 1946)—to brighten our world. In a sense it was a call for a return visit of “…The Old Lamplighter… to (make) the night a little brighter…” along our darkened way and poke holes into the darkness.
In Palm Sunday Worship the children’s choir, accompanied by “The Altar Egos” Bluegrass Band, sang “This Little Light of Mine.” It is an old standard that takes up the theme of light in the darkness. In these days of outbreaks of Antisemitism, I am reminded of the song, “Light One Candle” recorded by Peter, Paul, and Mary numerous times, and available on YouTube. It speaks of courage, hope, determination, and love for one another. In a word, it is a ‘lamplighter.”
The Old Testament frequently speaks of God’s call to the Children of Israel to be “a light to the nations.” One of my favorites is the one referred to in Isaiah 42. In the New Testament Jesus refers to the positive and redemptive roles light plays in the world and in our lives; to the point of calling his followers “The Light of the World.” The wonder of it all is how simple it is for each of us to be a “Lamplighter.” Just think of a moment when someone said, did, or encouraged you, and poked a hole in your darkness. It opened joy, hope, and gratitude for you. And, you, dear reader may not know it, but I am sure you are a Lamplighter for someone.
©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2024