Dearly Beloved,
Grace and peace to you!
It's January and the start of a new year! The Christmas season isn't quite over yet, not until January 6, the Epiphany of the Lord. The word epiphany means "manifestation, a sudden moment of divine insight or revelation". Epiphany is all about light. The star in the sky is understood as a divine revelation that leads magi from a far-off land to Jesus, the light of the world.
Light is so very important in our lives, especially at this time of year when we experience more hours of darkness than daylight in each 24-hour period. Maybe that's why for several hundred years, people like us have been using lots of bright lights and shiny decorations to prepare for Christmas, lift our spirits, and remind us of the essential role light plays in our lives and in the world.
As we sang our favorite Christmas hymns over the last month, I noticed a common thread weaving through some of my favorite hymns: at least one verse about stars or light. For example, in O Little Town of Bethlehem (vs 1), we sing:
"... above thy deep and dreamless sleep
the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
the everlasting light;...!"
In We Three Kings, we sing:
"O, star of wonder, star of light,
star with royal beauty bright, ...,
guide us to thy perfect light."
And in Silent Night (vs 3), we sing:
"Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love’s pure light;
radiant beams from thy holy face,
with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord at thy birth, Jesus, Lord at thy birth!"
Look at the different ways light is described in each song:
* Everlasting light that represents years of hopes and fears; hopes that are fulfilled and fears that are conquered.
* Star of wonder, light, and royal beauty, that guides us to the one who is the perfect Light of the World.
* Love's pure light who is the Son of God, the one who redeems us through grace and love.
In Genesis 1 and John 1, light appears. In Genesis, after God created the heavens and the earth, light is the very next thing God created, so we know light must be very important to the vitality of all creation. No longer is there only darkness. On Day 4, God created stars, sun, and moon to light both the day and night. Even the darkness is not completely without light.
The first chapter of John helps to expand the importance and purpose of light in the world:
"In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.... The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it."
And oh, how we need that light! Jesus is the life that brings everlasting light into every heart. Jesus is the pure and perfect light of love, the one who is the Light of the World, who overcomes every type of darkness we might experience.
As we celebrate the birth of the Light of the World into our hearts, we sense the Light that is life, calling us to let Christ's light shine through us into the darkness of someone else's life.
Each time you see a lit candle, remember lighting the candle of the person next to you and singing Silent Night on Christmas Eve. Carry Christ's light with you. Watch for opportunities God's Spirit shows you to spread Christ's light in new ways to new people all year long. May we all be the light someone needs.
In Christ's great love,
Pastor Cathy Nutting