The Lighthouse Keeper Who Improved the Light

In 1916, a lighthouse keeper named Amos Holbrook at Point Reyes, California, grew dissatisfied with the old Fresnel lens that had guided ships safely through the fog for decades. He considered himself forward-thinking. The lens was outdated, he reasoned, and he began experimenting with his own arrangement of mirrors and lanterns — something more modern, more advanced. For three nights, Amos ran his improvised system while the original lens sat dark.

On the second night, a fishing vessel called the Mary Adele ran aground on Drakes Beach. The crew survived, but barely. When investigators arrived, they found nothing wrong with the original lens. It worked perfectly. The problem was that Amos had moved beyond what was proven and reliable, chasing progress that turned out to be darkness.

The Apostle John warns that anyone who "runs ahead" and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God. The Greek word proagon — to go ahead, to advance beyond — sounds admirable until you realize what is being left behind. Every generation faces voices that promise a more sophisticated faith, a Christianity upgraded beyond the original message. But doctrine is not a relic to outgrow. It is the lens that bends the light toward safety.

Whoever abides in that teaching, John says, has both the Father and the Son. The old light still burns true.