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Sun Worshipers
Only in the light of eternity will we be able to grasp fully the negative impact of sin on the environment. It’s hard for us to imagine what this world must have looked like and how perfectly suited for life the environment must have been for our first parents.
Of course, sin didn’t just impact the earth. It impacted humans, as well. Among the negative impacts of sin on humans was their degeneration into idolatry, which was manifested in (among other ways) their worshiping and serving “created things” (Romans 1:25, NIV) as opposed to the Creator.
Read 2 Kings 23:5, Jeremiah 8:2, and Ezekiel 8:16. What was going on here? Why, in one sense, would it make sense to worship the sun?
One thing we can know for sure about the environment of the earth today is that sunlight, though very important for our health, can have exceedingly deleterious effects if we’re exposed to too much. Thus, in a sense, modern sun worshipers are living in almost as much ignorance as their ancient predecessors.
We now know that too much exposure to sunlight increases the risk of various skin cancers.
On the other hand, sunlight exposure helps to produce vitamin D, which is essential for body metabolism and the building of strong and healthy bones. Adequate exposure to sunlight also helps to prevent certain types of cancer.
What, then, is the optimal exposure to sunlight? Light-skinned people in equatorial environments who rely on sunlight for their vitamin D require at least five minutes per day of direct exposure. Dark-skinned people in the same environment require about thirty minutes to make the same amount of vitamin D. In areas where the hours of sunlight are more limited, vitamin D should be supplemented under medical supervision.
It also is healthful to open curtains and windows to allow sunlight to enter our rooms, which helps destroy certain bacteria.
Studies show that folk without adequate sunlight exposure can be more prone to suffer from seasonal depression (known as “seasonal affective disorder”); this problem occurs especially in areas where the days are short in winter. The cure is very straightforward: more exposure to light, even if artificial, in the winter months.
The bottom line? As with so much else regarding healthful living, temperance and balance in regard to sunlight exposure are crucial.
| THURSDAY | April 29 |
Only in the light of eternity will we be able to grasp fully the negative impact of sin on the environment. It’s hard for us to imagine what this world must have looked like and how perfectly suited for life the environment must have been for our first parents.
Of course, sin didn’t just impact the earth. It impacted humans, as well. Among the negative impacts of sin on humans was their degeneration into idolatry, which was manifested in (among other ways) their worshiping and serving “created things” (Romans 1:25, NIV) as opposed to the Creator.
Read 2 Kings 23:5, Jeremiah 8:2, and Ezekiel 8:16. What was going on here? Why, in one sense, would it make sense to worship the sun?
One thing we can know for sure about the environment of the earth today is that sunlight, though very important for our health, can have exceedingly deleterious effects if we’re exposed to too much. Thus, in a sense, modern sun worshipers are living in almost as much ignorance as their ancient predecessors.
We now know that too much exposure to sunlight increases the risk of various skin cancers.
On the other hand, sunlight exposure helps to produce vitamin D, which is essential for body metabolism and the building of strong and healthy bones. Adequate exposure to sunlight also helps to prevent certain types of cancer.
What, then, is the optimal exposure to sunlight? Light-skinned people in equatorial environments who rely on sunlight for their vitamin D require at least five minutes per day of direct exposure. Dark-skinned people in the same environment require about thirty minutes to make the same amount of vitamin D. In areas where the hours of sunlight are more limited, vitamin D should be supplemented under medical supervision.
It also is healthful to open curtains and windows to allow sunlight to enter our rooms, which helps destroy certain bacteria.
Studies show that folk without adequate sunlight exposure can be more prone to suffer from seasonal depression (known as “seasonal affective disorder”); this problem occurs especially in areas where the days are short in winter. The cure is very straightforward: more exposure to light, even if artificial, in the winter months.
The bottom line? As with so much else regarding healthful living, temperance and balance in regard to sunlight exposure are crucial.
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