On Bioluminescence

“And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light.” ~Genesis 1:3

There’s a place in Puerto Rico called Mosquito Bay. It contains the highest concentration of bioluminescent dinoflagellates in the world. These are single-cell plankton that glow because of a rapid drop in pH levels due to an influx of protons within the cell. I have no idea what that means, but I do know it is beautiful to behold. When there are millions of them together, it is simply breathtaking! 

You may be surprised to discover how many kinds of bioluminescent organisms there are in the world. On land there are very few. Fireflies, glowworms, and certain mushrooms have bioluminescent properties. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a glowworm or a luminescent mushroom, but I enjoy catching fireflies with my children in the summer. The ocean, on the other hand, contains thousands upon thousands of different kinds of fish, invertebrates, algae, and even some sharks that emit light through bioluminescent chemistry. I’ve seen videos of swimmers in Mosquito Bay illuminating the night with every stroke as the glowing plankton respond to their contact. These organisms are remarkable and serve as a testimony to God’s brilliance in creation and His willingness to provide us with occasions for wonder day by day. 

When we think of the light which God created, we tend to orient our eyes upward. We consider all the stars and galaxies beyond our reach and we marvel at God’s power, wisdom, and artistry. This is the right response to a gaze heavenward. The sunrise or sunset prompts us to meditate on God’s glory. A trip outside in the middle of the night reveals billions of stars, which causes us to say, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). 

But the stars chiefly speak of God’s transcendence. We can’t travel to the stars or touch them. We can’t even look directly at them without harming our eyes. We need healthy reminders of God’s transcendence — of His otherness and exaltation. But God is more than transcendent; He is also immanent. He is near, having taken on flesh and dwelt among us. In fact, the Light of the world chose to draw near (John 1:1-14, 8:12), enabling us to hear, see, and touch Him (1 John 1:1). 

God intends for ALL His creation to speak of His glory, not just the stars way out there in the heavens. We need bioluminescent critters here on earth to remind us that there is light we can touch. There is immanent light in which we can swim, which we can hold in our hands. Rather than relegating His creative glory to the light of the heavenly luminaries, He chose, in His kindness, to give us light we can catch on a warm summer’s eve with our children. We can hold it in our hands. We can feel it crawling around on our fingers. And we can marvel at the God who made all the lights, and even sent the Light of Life into our world, that we might behold the glory of God in His face.

Rev. Kyle Lockhart, Pastor of Teaching & Spiritual Formation