“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” Isaiah 9: 2
When I was a kid, I used to countdown the days before Christmas. Every year around the first of October the Christmas sales brochures would start arriving, and I would start counting down the days. Now that I am much older, I have started a new Christmas countdown. You see I am now 71 years old, so I realize that I may not have a lot of Christmases left. Please don’t misunderstand, I am not on some death watch, it is just that statistically I know my Christmases are running out.
Does that seem a little morbid? It isn’t meant to be, after all who could complain about spending Christmas in heaven. I guess when Sherry and I depart for greener pastures, they will sell the house and a new family will move in and they’ll change everything. They’ll probably start by backing a dumpster up to my study window and tossing seventy years of priceless treasures, which they will quickly identify as an accumulation of junk, into the trash heap.
Next, they may venture into our various Christmas storage areas. We usually put up about six trees each year. All those trees along with their unique decorations takes up quite a bit of space that normal people might use to store something silly like their clothes. In short order, they will reorder the house just the way they like it and every trace of the Worthington’s will be eradicated; well, almost every trace.
One day they’ll venture into the attic and there, tucked away in the corner, under the rafters, they might find more Christmas decorations. These are the ones that were too worn for us to use anymore, but too filled with memories to throw away. Once again, these mementoes of a by-gone era of Holiday joy will be the center of attention. They may even bring someone a smile for one final time, just before they are unceremonially placed in a garbage bag and escorted to the local land fill.
Please do not misunderstand, that is the way it should be. One generation ends as another begins. It is just kind of sad when some of the greatest memories of your entire lifetime end up as mulch. Most of those decorations were faithful to us for decades. They stuck with us through thick and thin. Anytime we wanted a little Christmas spirit, they were there for us. I can’t say that about a lot of people. So, yes, we are somewhat attached to them.
Am I being morbid again? Sorry about that. Actually, looking at the statistics, I can feel good about this year because the track record for the past seven decades has been if I lived until November 1st, I always made it until Christmas. And since you can’t argue with a track record like that, I think I’m on solid ground to go ahead and plan my yuletide celebrations.
Of course, it could be Christmas itself that ultimately takes me to the Promised Land. If I don’t fall off the ladder placing the ribbon on the tree top, I may perish from my annual fruit cake binge. I have also read that Christmas is also a great source of stress related maladies. At least one study suggests that it can literally give you a heart attack. I guess that’s understandable, because if you look at the modern manifestation of Christmas, it turns out there are a surprising number of elements that can, and probably do, lead to an increase in stress.
That my Christmases are running out is an undeniable truth, so I am determined to savor every one that God grants me. Actually, it is kind of neat knowing that every gift you receive, even if it doesn’t have a life-time guarantee, will still last you for the rest of your life. It used to be furniture and books. Then, it became clothes and flashlight batteries. Soon, fresh cut flowers and my carton of eggnog may outlast me. Thoughts like that can change a person.
My senior years may have prompted me to think a little deeper about Christmas, but one feeling hasn’t changed. I am always a bit sad when it is over. Even when I was a child, I remember walking outside on Christmas night looking up into the sky and being flooded with emotion. I was happy about the Christmas I had just enjoyed, but I was sad that it was all over. It wasn’t just the gifts and the decorations, but more than that, it was the spirit behind the celebration that I would miss. It was almost like all the peace and good will were being boxed up along with the decorations and tossed up into the attic. All that joy and happiness placed up there in the darkness. It just didn’t seem right to a young child. Now that I think about it, it doesn’t seem right to an old man either. Yet, as a pastor who is always looking for illustrations, perhaps there is a vivid illustration in all that joy and light hiding up there awaiting Christmas.
Do you remember the story of Gideon? Do you recall how his small band of fighting men hid their torches in jars until instructed to reveal their light? When they crashed their jars, the torches blazed brightly in the night sky causing the enemy to panic. Of course, this was all God’s initiative, so that all would know that the victory was God’s doing.
Likewise, a small baby, the bearer of light, was also God’s initiative. It was all His doing. Through this child, joy, deliverance, and victory would be brought to the people. In the fullness of time, the Son of God came to bring light to the dark places. The coming of the Christ-Child granted us a continual source of light to dispel darkness. This is the message that was proclaimed long ago and is announced afresh today. We should proclaim and illustrate this light all year. It just seems we have more object lessons at Christmastime. You see, some of our best object lessons, like our lights and manger scenes, are boxed up most of the year.
It is no wonder when we come to the story of the birth of Jesus, it is attended by light. Shepherds were dazzled by the light of God, reassured by angels, and then they find the Christ-child lying in a manger. Wisemen see the star, follow it, and recognize the significance of the light of the star heralding a newborn King. Jesus will later teach His followers that they are to be the light of the world as reflections of His light. Until the first century, Jews would have understood the light of the world to be found in the temple. A giant menorah stood above the temple compound, all nine branches lit to the glory of God, while inside the temple the sacred candlesticks burned with the light of God’s presence.
But now, Jesus tells his followers they are the light of the world, not the temple menorah. They are the light, because they reflect the glory of God in their midst. That glory is now personal, not symbolic. That glory is not contained in a person, not a place. That glory is now Jesus, the light that came into the world.
Maybe retrieving my lights and shiny decorations to bring light for all to see is just another way of reminding me of the Light of God that came to dispel the darkness.
“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.”
Isaiah 60: 1-4
Don’t tell anyone, as it may confirm their suspicions that I am losing my mind, but I always like to say a few words when I pack up our decorations. As I thank our Lord for His blessings over the season, I also look at our boxed-up decorations and say something like: “Thank you for another year of memories. See you next year.” I know that’s silly, but I have done it for years. No, I am not praying to a glass ball or a string of garland, these are just objects that my Lord has given us to help celebrate His birth. It is just that every twinkling light helps to remind me of the birth of my Saviour, the true light of the world.
Sometimes, I get the message better from a twinkling light than I do from some liberal pastor’s message. As an old man, perhaps telling our decorations I will see them again is a good thing. Maybe, in some unexplainable way, I feel an obligation, almost like I would be betraying a trust, if I am not there to unpack them all next Christmas. You see, Christmas is a time that God calls us all to rise up and make a special effort to display the light of Christ.
I remember reading of an elderly man of God who moved back to his old hometown in the years of his declining health. One of the things that bothered him most upon his return was that the church where he had received Christ was now closed. It had been sitting empty for years.
One Christmas, burdened by the loss of the old lighthouse where the gospel was once preached, the old man remembered the beautiful stained-glass windows that still adorned the building. Those windows faced main street and many people passed by the church every day. After seeking permission from the caretaker, the old man recruited some help and had numerous floodlights placed inside the church a few days before Christmas. The lights were positioned to shine directly through the stained glass.
There for all to see were the timeless portrayals of Jesus:
• Jesus, Mary, and Joseph at His birth in Bethlehem;
• Jesus the good shepherd carrying a lamb;
• Jesus the searching Saviour rescuing the lone lost sheep while the ninety-nine rested safely in the fold;
• Jesus praying in Gethsemane;
• Jesus on the cross;
• Jesus risen from the dead.
It was Christmas, and once again the light from the old church presented the message of Christ. These windows became silent sermons, all they needed was light; and the resourcefulness of someone who cared enough to let it shine. People who usually passed by the darkened church usually paid it no attention, but now they would stop reverently, silently, thoughtfully. They found themselves filled with new determination and encouragement. In the darkness that filled their lives, the light streaming from those windows gave new meaning to these words: “…the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended” Isaiah 60:20.
That is the very nature of light. Some of the rays are absorbed, others are reflected. Thus, it is with you and I. The clouds that lie over the sunset, though in themselves they are nothing but vapor, when smitten by the radiance of the sun, they preach volumes about the glory of God. So, it is with us. Our life is but a vapor, but when Christ comes to be our light, the beauty of His glory can be dramatically displayed.
When the wisemen bowed before Jesus, they realized that the brilliance of the star they had followed was nothing compared to the light that God had sent into the world. Jesus is the one who will meet you in your deepest darkness, whatever that darkness is for you. He is the light!
As you countdown the days before Christmas, or as you countdown the number of Christmases you have left, please determine to let the glorious light of Christ shine. Yes, it may shine through your window, but also make sure it also shines in your life year-round.
Dr. Worthington has been in the ministry for over forty five years and serves as President of Pathway Ministries and Christian Bible College.