It’s Christmas time and like many, we have adorned our home with strands of lights – nothing fancy, justlights with color.
Last Sunday night we jumped in the car with our travel mugs full of hot chocolate and cruised the surrounding neighborhoods for an hour. It was fun looking at the Christmas lights with my wife. Some light displays were spectacular but most, like ours, were basic and nice. And all of them lit up the darkness.
John, the Apostle, wrote of light – “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. (1)
When the light of the world came two thousand years ago there were no strands of light . . . but God didn’t cheat us out. Instead of a string of lights He sent one Son . . . and an angel who surprised some dozing shepherds. The sky and surrounding areas were lit up beyond belief. The Bible says that the light display that evening was the glory of the Lord. (2) I wish I could light up my house the way God did the shepherd’s countryside.
Here’s my thought: The light of Jesus Christ shines much differently than the lights strung up on my house. I wish lighting up my life were as easy as lighting up my house. But it isn’t. The light of the Lord Jesus Christ doesn’t shine through Christmas lights strung up on buildings but rather through “Christmas” people – people who have the light of Christ shining brightly in them.
Jesus said, “You and I are the light of the world. (3) So, let your light shine before mankind, that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven. (4)
So, how bright are you? We often do know how bright we are. Here’s a case in point.
Several from our family recently had dinner together with mom at the assisted-care facility where she lives. One of the residents there always greets me warmly when we see each other. He knows that I am a pastor. So on this occasion I went looking for him and found him in the “big screen TV” room. After our normal pleasantries, I asked him how he was going to celebrate Christmas. He told me that he’d be with his splintered family . . . with his ex-wife, their adult children and the grandchildren . . . and at the house they’d shared together years ago . . . that he’d lost to her in the divorce proceedings. My mind began to process a number of thoughts his comments had ignited. My mind was busy processing . . . when he asked me a question.
The question allowed both of us to muse about the reality of, you guessed it, the LORD JESUS. And a door opened for me to say a one sentence prayer before I was off to the dining room with mom.
Over dinner one of my family members shared a text message they’d just received. News of my brief one sentence prayer with the man in the TV room had traveled. He’d called his daughter, she texted someone and ultimately my sister-in-law was contacted and she informed me that God had shown up for the man . . . God had lit up the darkness for him. Think of that. Light overcame darkness in a one sentence prayer.
And light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it.” (5)
So, keep shining . . . and when possible, say a one sentence prayer. Merry Christmas!
–Pastor John
P.S. I have discovered that in my busy, rushing around life, I don’t always notice the beautiful light displays that have penetrated the darkness. Are you like that? Next week I’ll write, “Few Noticed.” It’s about busy and lonely people who do not notice brilliance in their midst.
Scripture references:
(1) John 1:3-5
(2) Luke 2:9
(3) Matthew 5:14
(4)Matthew 5:16, paraphrase