It is one of the earliest and most profound statements in the Bible.

Let there be light.

Even those who express doubt about the origin of the creation story in the book of Genesis would have to agree. Without light, we couldn’t exist.

The light from our sun powers life on our planet. Light from the sun provides the warmth that prevents the earth from becoming nothing more than a frozen globe of rock and ice. That same light, combined with the tilt of the earth’s axis, triggers the seasons.

Light is the fuel that powers the plant life that is the foundation of the food cycle that feeds the other advanced life forms that exist. Light is the resource that allows plant life to produce oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis.

As our understanding of the properties of light advances, we find even more miracles inside.

Laser light is used to perform delicate eye surgery. Fiber optic cables allow the transmission of text, sound and visual images over long distances.

It has been proposed that solar sails might be used to propel spacecraft.

Astronomers use the properties of light to calculate unattainable measurements of the universe.

The different wavelengths of light allow us to see various colors that add beauty to our life experiences, and our eyes are designed to identify those colors – a combined miracle. The very contrast between light and darkness allows us to navigate and appreciate our world.

With all this information, we are challenged to consider the dispute between divine creation and accidental existence. Once again we must ask ourselves if we could possibly conceive of so many miraculous traits of light being merely chance, an accident of nature.

Or, is it part of a complex plan of existence that began with a simple command.

Let there be light.