Christmas Lights

You see them everywhere. All of us develop very early memories of them. At night, the glow and warmth Christmas lights draw our eyes to storefronts and people's yards. I have to admit, I think they are beautiful. They get me every time. On the street where I live just about every house is a strategically planned display of high-electric-bill Christmas cheer. The manufacturers of the lights are getting better too. Some of the outside lights show colors and brilliance I don't remember from past years. What's funny is how these lights look during the day in storefronts and especially in yards. They look sad and trashy. Only in the dark do these lights bless. It was dark in more ways than one when Christ was born. After the Magi left Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, it says in Matthew 2:13 that "an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, 'take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.'” Can you imagine? This is a reminder of how dark a time it was and how evil some men were. Joseph has already been through so much, and now this. He has to make a run for it. Again, notice that he is in charge. He has to do this: protect his betrothed and her newborn son. Still, all this takes nothing away from the hope and glory of the birth of Christ. In fact, it adds to it. Christ is that much more beautiful in the context of the evil and darkness that surrounded His birth, life, death, and resurrection. This can help us today. Whatever evil we face, inside or out, with the light of Christ focused on with eyes of faith, the darkness can be transformed. Jesus came to change everything. The lights and lit-up decorations on my neighbor's yard change everything about how his yard looks at night and remind me of The Light of the World.

What darkness do you face today? How are you intentionally shining the light of Christ on it? Are you a believer and will you live like it today?