By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
I’m going to miss December’s decorative Christmas lights shining into the night from homes and streets. One of my favorite displays this year was a small farm whose owner outlined the entire peaked barn, farmhouse windows, and pasture fences. What a beautiful thing to see when driving through the dark, cold countryside.
I wonder – if it were not for the biblical nativity story found in Luke 2, would we make such a big deal out of lights at Christmas?
Luke’s account tells us of shepherds guarding their flocks that night, and I imagine they took turns watching the sheep and sleeping around a campfire. They had no lanterns or flashlights, so beyond the circle of firelight, darkness vied with stars and moon.
But then the ultimate glow-in-the-dark extravaganza appeared: Angels, and “the glory of the Lord” shone around them.
These men who could no doubt beat off wild animals and human thieves were terrified by the sudden appearance of light-winged beings in the middle of the night.
What if the angels had come at dawn? Or maybe at high noon. Would their arrival have been as astounding?
Elsewhere we read of magi from the east riding to see the Child predicted to be a king. Much more familiar than we are with celestial navigation, they followed a starry roadmap displayed in the heavens.
Light in the darkness draws us.
As a grown man, Jesus told the people, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
Later He reminded his disciples that they were the light of the world. “A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16).
Jesus’ half-brother records in the book of James that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17).
John writes: “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5).
The good news about the Light of the World came in the dark. I believe that was by design.
At the darkest moments in our own lives, He will be with us if we ask Him. He will be there with His light. He is the light.
As Christmas lights diminish over the next few weeks, may we not let the Light of Jesus fade from our lives or forget that every good gift we have is from His Father, the Father of Lights.
~
Light in the darkness draws us. Share on XOne of my all-time favorite songs: Celebrate the Light!
“Ready?” Dave started the engine, and warm air blew out from beneath the dashboard.
“Ready as ever.” Georgia shoved her hands in her pockets and hunched her shoulders.
“You cold?”
“No—cozy. It’s nice in here.”
The Boy Scouts’ tree lot covered an entire corner parking lot on Main Street. Last night’s snow dusted the trees, but the walkways were swept clear. Strings of lights crisscrossed overhead, and the whole place filled Dave with childlike anticipation. The last two Christmases had failed to win a second glance, and he had avoided trees and greenery like he would a bad case of measles.
“Oh, look!” Georgia seemed to glow with the Christmas spirit, and she hurried to a display of mistletoe strung overhead beneath a section of lights. Each white-berried bundle was tied with a red ribbon and clipped to the wire. “It’s real mistletoe. I love it!”
Dave’s imagination picked up speed and he steered the conversation elsewhere. “Are you getting a tree this year, or do you have a fake tree?”
Georgia’s enthusiasm cooled and she shoved her hands in her pockets. “You mean an artificial tree?”
Whoa. Okay. “Yeah, an artificial tree.” He still considered them fake and had been disappointed when his late wife had opted for one so she didn’t have to vacuum needles off the carpet. A few weeks later they’d learned about her cancer. He couldn’t help but connect the two.
“I used to insist on a real tree,” Georgia said. “One year, we even bought a living tree and planted it at the church we attended as part of their landscaping project.”
“But . . .”
Her smile wilted. “My heart hasn’t really been in Christmas the last few years, so I put up a small artificial tree in the front room by the window so its lights show outside.” She looked at the bundles behind them. “But for some reason, I’ve always loved mistletoe.” ~A Mistletoe Christmas, from “A Country Christmas Collection.”
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This is really good to remember!
There is so much darkness in our world!
It’s more important than ever that we keep our light shining so that people know Jesus, the Light of the World!
May the Light shine to those in darkness.
Amen, Karen. Thanks for reading!