It seems that once Remembrance Day has passed in Canada, the Christmas season is upon us in full swing…if you live in the U.S., it begins directly after Thanksgiving. In fact, once Halloween is over, the Christmas decorations quickly go up in a lot of our shops and stores. The amount of time that retailers can make money is short, and they are naturally anxious to capitalize on every possible opportunity, especially in our current economic climate. Apart from the unfortunate commercialization of Christmas, the celebration should be a happy, joyous time; a time to honour the birth of our Lord and saviour, Jesus Christ, and a time to spend with our family and friends, enjoying fellowship and delicious food alike.
It gets harder and harder to remain positive in our loud, busy and complicated postmodern world; as well, a lot of us have suffered very serious and even tragic setbacks this past year, which make it difficult to be festive and full of the joy of the season. The 24 hour news playing on our T.V. and internet is gloomy and depressing, which does nothing to help dispel our often negative and pessimistic thoughts. Indeed, for those of us who have lost loved ones recently and often unexpectedly, it is all but impossible to get into that special feeling of Christmas…thus the need of support groups for people who endure a “blue Christmas”.
December is probably the darkest and bleakest month of all (the weather not discounted), but there is another reason that we decorate our Christmas trees and homes with bright lights at this time of year. The shining star on top of our tree is a wonderful reminder of that ancient night, over two thousand years ago, when Jesus Christ first entered the world as a tiny infant. God sent a brilliant, shining star, the star of the East, for the three wise men (Magi) to follow. When they finally discovered the Christ child, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, they laid precious gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh at His feet…extremely overjoyed, they bowed down and worshiped Him. They knew He was the prophesied and promised saviour of mankind.
In the old testament book of Isaiah 9:6-7, the prophet predicts this miraculous birth: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.” This prophecy tells of the coming Messiah, approximately 700 years before His earthly birth. It also describes His eternal reign, forevermore, including the period of the Millennium (one thousand years), when our tired and worn out world will be perfectly governed by King Jesus! As we look forward to that final period of history, we can rest assured that Jesus is even now our bright and guiding light in the darkness.
While sin is a metaphor for the spiritual darkness in our midst, light is a metaphor for Jesus Christ…divine light may be defined as holiness, goodness, knowledge, wisdom, grace, hope, and God’s revelation to us. Jesus himself declared: “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) Here, Jesus is referring to eternal life and salvation. When the light is turned on, darkness disappears. Moreover, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus exhorts Christians to be salt and light:
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are 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 in 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 5:13-16)
When we act as salt and light to others, we are sprinkling love, hope and faith to those who may need a kind word or deed. So many of us are just surviving each day, seemingly going from one challenge and heartache to the next. Lots of people are sick and/or all alone this Christmas, and one small act of charity and love can lift them up immensely. A simple act of kindness towards a family member, friend, neighbour, or even stranger can make all the difference. This Christmas season, as we are celebrating with our loved ones, opening presents, eating our fill of turkey, or drinking flavoured coffee and possibly even eggnog, let’s endeavour to reach out to at least one person every day, extending Christ’s light and love to a very hungry and needy world. As Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35)
Amen.
