R. C. Sproul’s voice was first heard in our kitchen on a Sunday morning around 2005 when my husband discovered his radio broadcast series of Renewing your Mind. He listened to the show while preparing breakfast for the family before church, and we enjoyed his knowledge and analytical skills very much.
After the program stopped airing, I wanted to find out more about this eloquent theologian. So I did some digging and discovered his children’s book The King Without a Shadow (1996). The story revolves around a king who is challenged by a boy’s questions regarding shadows. He wants to know how they are formed, and wonders why everyone has one. The king’s wise men reveal to him the reason behind shadows and a few other mysteries about light. To the king’s dismay, the wise men also tell him that it is impossible to get rid of his shadow, but inform him that a certain prophet knows about the one and only King who has no shadow.
The wise men’s description of light’s behavior with matter contains many metaphors to God’s interaction with mankind. The holy man’s explanation about the supremacy of God, the only King without a shadow, humbles the king and gives him great hope for eternity. After he understands the answers to the boy’s questions, the king eagerly seeks him out in order to share all that he learned about the nature of light and God.
I have included “The King Without a Shadow” in my recommended list of books on lightlabetc.com, since it complements the content of three chapters of Lightlab. Both books are available in many bookstores, including: abebooks.com, biblio.com and amazon.com.
I have also uploaded the book, narrated by R.C. Sproul himself, in the Book Supplements to Chapter 4 titled “How Big is Your Shadow? You will enjoy his grand-fatherly voice while following the story in his beautifully illustrated book. I just practiced this with a current Lightlab Club, and the children were captivated throughout the whole narration as I was flipping the pages of the book. When I asked for their impressions, here is what Clara (age 12) and Toby (age 8) said:
“I liked how the holy man described what spiritual shadows represent.”
“I liked the part when the king was eager to tell the kids what he learned about God.”
I am so grateful that Lightlab offers various opportunities to reach the youngest generation, to educate them about the nature of light while pointing them to our Creator and Redeemer. I would love to know how the Lord has opened doors for you to reach children with the gospel. I encourage you to share your experience in the comments so the all readers may be motivated by your story.
We cordially invite you to share lightlabetc.com
with other homeschooled families, churches and Christian schools.
All the while, please pray that God will equip teachers
to educate the youth with knowledge and wisdom to follow the one and true Light.
James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”(ESV)