Instagram can be a place of beautiful, breath-taking photos, funny videos and courageous self-expression.

It can also be a place of unimaginable darkness.

A recent report relates how the Instagram account of a teenage murder victim (whose killer posted photos of her brutal death) has been flooded (via tagging) with horrific images.

How do you extinguish darkness?

One group of Instagram users have had a solution – they spend their time (as volunteers) flooding that tag stream with harmless, cute or happy images to drown out the unpleasantness.

You shine light.

From “Light of the World” (John 1) to “Shine like stars” (Phil 2), the message is consistent: followers of Jesus are to live out His life like bright lights in a dark world.

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labour in vain.

Philippians 2:14-16