Why Light?

(2 Minute Read. 12Jul2023)

Do you enjoy outdoor activities on sunny days?

Do you appreciate and thank God for the light and warmth of the sun?

People generally take light for granted. Few give much thought about the blessings of light, its importance, or why light exists.

What is the origin of light?

Why is there light instead of only infinite darkness?

The Bible reports that God created light on Creation Day One, after He created the heavens, the earth, and water:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. (Genesis 1:1-5)

Imagine creating light and the entire electromagnetic spectrum from nothing! How could you do that? How would you create energy from nothing? It’s inconceivable! But Yahweh, the Great Creator, did precisely that.

Why is light so important?

Without light, life is impossible. Sunlight sustains life. Sunlight has precisely the right wavelengths and just the right amounts to warm, energize, and light the earth. Since light is a prerequisite for life, it makes sense that Genesis reports God created it before He began to create life.

Sunlight is the ultimate source of all energy on the earth. Light provides the warmth that all life requires. Without that warmth, life is impossible.

Plants convert light energy to chemical energy through photosynthesis; see Of Plants and People for details on photosynthesis. Without light, there would be no plants and no food. This extremely complex energy conversion process did not happen by chance. The Great Creator designed it and built it into the DNA of plants.

Much of the radiation of the electromagnetic spectrum is very harmful or even lethal. From gamma rays through X-rays and most UV radiation, all are damaging.

What is the light most useful for life and sight? It is comprised of the near-ultraviolet, the visible, and the near-infrared parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. But this is a razor-thin slice of the electromagnetic spectrum. It amounts to about one part in 10 trillion trillion (one part in 10²⁵). The chance of this happening by accident is essentially zero. Yet by the Great Creator’s design, exactly those rare fractions are amply provided to sustain and benefit life on Earth.

God created eyes to detect light. He invented sight by creating both visible light and eyes.

After centuries of study and research, man still only partially understands light. Even though it is so common, it is still mysterious. Some characteristics point to light being a wave; others suggest light is particulate in nature. How can it be both? We don’t know because we only partially understand the Great Creator‘s wondrous light.

The light emitted by the sun is transmitted by the atmosphere to warm and light the earth. It is converted by plants into chemical energy, and it is detected by human and animal eyes. Is that just extraordinary coincidence that these intricate, independent light processes work, or were they designed by a Creator? I think the answer is obvious.

Thanks and praise to the Great Creator for His extraordinary gift of light!

Light is a huge blessing, and the Great Creator deserves credit for it.

Questions to Ponder

1. How can you link the sensation of the sun’s warmth to a trigger for praising its amazing Creator?
2. Why is a day with sunshine so much more cheerful than a cloudy one?

Share your thoughts on these questions in the comments below. It could encourage or help another reader.

For Christ and His Kingdom.
Alere Flammam Veritatis.
Soli Deo Gloria.

Read the prequels in the Why? Series:
Why Is the Age of the Earth Important?
Why Apologetics?
Why Do Atheists Care?
Why Did Adam Sin?
Why Should Adam’s Sin Affect Me?
Why Do Leaves Change Color?
Why Do I Write the Bible-Science Guy Blog?
Why Is Ice Slippery?
Why Does Salt Melt Ice?
Why the Virus?
Why Is Christmas December 25?
Why the Week?
Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise?

Read the sequels in this Why? Series:
Why Water?
Why Oxygen?
Why Carbon?
Why Nitrogen?

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©William T. Pelletier, Ph.D.
“contending earnestly for the faith”
“destroying speculations against the knowledge of God”
“for the defense of the gospel”
(Jude 1:3; 2 Cor 10:5; Phil 1:16)
Wednesday, July 12, 2023 A.D.

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. (Genesis 1:3)

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