Last week at church the minister talked of why Christmas and Christmas lights always go together. I’d heard other reasons as to how they were connected but they often seemed rather tenuous. But I liked the way he linked them. It made the most sense to me.
Right from the beginning Christmas has always been linked with light. He used as his reference the prophecy of Isaiah 60:1-3 and the light coming into the darkness. John 1:1-5 and John 1:9-18 also pick up on this theme, identifying Jesus as the fulfillment of that Isaiah prophecy and the light come into the world. In John 8:12 Jesus referred to Himself as ‘The light of the world.’
Then of course, we have the light that came into a dark night as shepherds in the fields were given the glorious news by the angel ‘and the glory of the Lord shone around them,’ Luke 2:9. Following the declaration by the angel and the song of the angels the shepherds went to Bethlehem and found the baby exactly as they had been told. And there is the light that guided the wise men in the star that the wise men followed, Matthew 2:1-11. So, yes Christmas and Light is powerfully connected.
Christians are called to be lights in the world, Matthew 5:14-16. Never has it been more important for Christians to be lights in the world. How can you be a light to those around you at Christmas?
Will you share the message and of hope of Christmas with your friends and neighbors in your Christmas cards?
Will you invite neighbors in to your home to get to know them better?
Will you invite them to a carols or church service?
Will you read to your family the story of that first Christmas?
Will you pray for opportunities to talk to others of Jesus and then take those opportunities when they come?
Most of all we need to show our light in our attitudes, by not racing around stressed at Christmas but being relaxed and loving in our relationships with our friends, neighbors, and family. We need to show by our attitudes and actions that the commercialism, hype and tinsel is not what Christmas is all about and not let Christmas decorations and preparations be overshadowed with focus on Santa, so that ‘the light of the world’ is obscured.
Bible verses from The New American Standard Version
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