The Light of Christmas
Christmas traditions are certainly different the world over. For example, I grew up in Africa where decorating the outside of your home just wasn’t part of the holiday preparations — at least for our family. The exterior of our old mine house on the Zambian Copperbelt remained its plain, unadorned self as we counted down the days to December 25.
But inside was a different matter. Perhaps it was because I was so small by comparison, but we always seemed to have a massive Christmas tree heavy with tinsel and amazing glass ornaments in the shape of exotic birds and nutcrackers. And when we looked up, there were yards upon yards of brightly colored foil garlands and decorations, mysteriously clinging to the ceiling of every room. My favorite memory is of my dad’s excitement and effort in planning and executing those decorations. He would lay out his elaborately crafted plans on the floor, each one filled with detailed notations in his small handwriting. He was determined that everything would be in just the right place and fit just so. This was his contribution to Christmas — his love-gift to his family!
When we came to America with our own family, we were quite surprised to see Christmas lights and decorations in people’s yards. Lots of them. What was all that about? But we quickly came to enjoy the tradition, especially walking our children through the neighborhoods and seeing who had won the friendly competitions for the brightest or most outlandish display.
I especially liked this new tradition because it reminded me of the words spoken by the prophet Isaiah approximately 700 years before the coming of Christ in that dark Bethlehem stable. God made the promise in Isaiah 9:2: “The people walking in darkness, have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” As we would walk past the displays, it was easy to remember how Christ claimed to be that light in John 8:12 when He said “I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life”
And we gladly took on this new custom. Over the years I’ve watched my husband’s labor of love as he carefully decks our front yard with garlands of lights interspersed with glowing nativity scenes and angels. His devotion reminds me a bit of my father who so lovingly made the necessary preparations for me and my siblings all those years before, half a world away.
Christmas has always been a wonderful expression of the Father’s love and of His active preparation for us to find Him and know Him. He has patiently and carefully worked according to His plan laid out from the beginning:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1-5)
In the fullness of time, as Scripture says, Christ, the light of the world, came to deliver us from the darkness and bring us to God. May you and yours rejoice in that love and light especially this Christmas season!
Blessings on your day,
Michele
