That vision was also shared by his wife, Lillian, who in 1987 donated $50 million dollars to a new project to incorporate the arts into the Disney Empire. The money was to fund a new concert hall in Los Angeles, California. This concert hall met with many challenges during its construction, and it was even delayed from 1994 to 1996 due to cost overruns, mismanagement and disagreements over the project's design. Finally, groundbreaking was held in 1999 and the construction was completed in 2003.
After the construction, additional expenses were incurred to correct a flaw resulting from the design's use of polished concave stainless steel surfaces. Residents of the neighboring condominiums suffered significant glare caused by sunlight that was reflected and concentrated like a curved mirror. The concentrated light made some rooms of nearby condominiums unbearably hot, caused the air-conditioning costs of these residents to sky-rocket, and created hot spots on adjacent sidewalks of as much as 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Employees of the ticket office reported observing melted plastic traffic cones and spontaneous combustion in trash bins.
After complaints from neighboring buildings and residents the county government stepped in and asked Disney to come up with a solution. Their response was a computer analysis of the building's structure; after the offending surfaces were identified, they were sanded to reduce glare in 2005. As of yet, there have been no further complaints.
Jesus said, You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16 NKJV) So we are to shine our light into the world for all to see, right? So where does that light come from? We have no ability to shine any kind of light into the world, because we cannot generate any light at all. We are only able to reflect the light from The Source of light Jesus Christ.
There are two things we need to see. First, when we reflect God’s light to others it is even more concentrated than when it is just shining alone. Don’t get me wrong here; I am not saying that we are more powerful than God, or that He cannot shine without us. I am saying that when someone just hears about God on television or even in church they might understand God’s love. However, if you show them God’s love and they are able to see how it works out in your own life, then that power is concentrated is even more powerful. God’s love is great, but letting God show His love to others through your life is even greater.
Secondly, we can only reflect light if we are exposed to light. If we walk in the darkness, then we are unable to neither see nor direct others. We are literally the blind leading the blind. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:6-8)
My prayer for all of you is that you will be a reflection of God’s love. As you polish and perfect you walk with Him, your reflection will be brighter and more powerful. How wonderful would it be if we all reflected God’s light so much that we were able to just melt the walls and barriers in our lives like the Disney Concert Hall melted those traffic cones? May God bless you and make your reflection of His light to shine brightly.
Arise; shine; for your light has come! and the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you.(Isaiah 60:1-2 NKJV)
