Color Doesn’t Exist Without Light

We have no light of our own. In John 12:46, Jesus says:

I have come into the world as Light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.

Have you ever tried taking a photo in the pitch dark? If you have, you’ll know that the outcome of that photograph is “nothingness.”

So how do we see if something is in front of us? We need light.

When the plethora of light waves and frequencies hits an object, it reflects off of it and allows us to see it. But did you know, the object itself is absolutely colorless? That’s right! When visible light shines on an object, some of the light frequencies bounce off of the object and some of them soak in. All objects—with the exception of light—are reflectors.

We only see the light waves that are reflected off of the object! So if you think someone is wearing a red hat, they are actually wearing a hat that is completely colorless. But when light hits it, every part of the color spectrum soaks into the hat except for red, so that’s the color you see.

Three mind-numbingly insane thoughts come to my mind:

1. Before we were created, if God had not created that microscopic section of the electromagnetic spectrum that we call visible light, we would be visually blind.
2. Considering that we already see an incomprehensible amount of beauty in that microscopic section of the electromagnetic spectrum, imagine what actually exists that we can’t see now, but will be able to one day.
3. Everything and everyone is a reflector of light. If your vision is clear, your whole body will be full of Light. If the light within you is darkness, how deep is that darkness! (Matthew 6:22b, NIV, Matthew 6:23b, CSB)

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9)