Watching the contagion of the Christmas lights spread throughout a neighborhood is a favorite pastime for Christie and me. In every neighborhood, there is that first house that lays out their holiday display. Typically, those first lights reflect the heart of a person for whom last year’s lights were never truly put away. The lights have been shining in their heart and mind, likely all year. At some point, as the nights draw a little longer and the temperature drops just enough, the enthusiasm can no longer be restrained – and the lights come out! There will always be disagreement about whether the first lights have appeared prematurely. Nevertheless, the second decorated house appears within days. Then appear the third, the fourth, and so on. To watch the spread of lights is to watch the mood of the Christmas season spreading. It is as if the appearance of those first lights gives a signal to others, a kind of permission, to allow the mood of the season to overtake them. Soon, the mood is taking hold from house to house and heart to heart. Thus, the first lights of Christmas do their contagious work.
Just what signal do the lights of Christmas give? Certainly, they signal more than mere decoration. Especially in the season when nights grow longer, the lights remind us that darkness can be defied; and that it is within our power to do so. They signal a time when wonder and beauty are allowed un-tempered expression. The lights of Christmas signal an invitation to our hearts: To allow a broader sphere of concern for the needs of others and to relax the demands of practicality in favor of generosity. The lights remind us that it is within our power to be kindness, hope, and comfort to those otherwise deprived of it. The lights remind that it is within our power to protect, nurture, and celebrate the joy of the innocent. We remember that we need not, and should not, wait for light to happen. Light is something we can give to the world when we choose to devote the time and the effort to doing so. There are people who would, but do not. There are many who would simply rather not. Such hearts await invitation, perhaps inspiration, from the light that decides to shine first. I am grateful that God has fashioned your heart to be a “first light” that invites and inspires the hearts of others to share their light as well.
May the Light of Christ in You Be Sustained in Every Season,
Pastor Joe