Christmas Light

Christmas is over. Admittedly, I often experience a let-down after the Christmas holidays. The lights that once illuminated darkened streets, and garnished houses have been packed away for another year. No more "naughty food" that increases the belt size, and clogs the arteries. No more lazily sitting around table, laughing with family and friends. It's time to get back to "normal."

Unfortunately, "normalcy" often erases the memories of the good news of Christmas. We all-too-quickly forget about the promise of the incarnation, and live in the problems--and biasis--of our fallen world. Just as we pack up the Christmas lights, symbolizing the "light of the world," we tend to allow our own eyes to become darkened by our own self-interests.

In this regard, and old Hassidic tale summarizes much of what the world—and our churches—need so desperately today.

The Rabbi asks his students, “How can we determine the hour of dawn, when the night ends and the day begins?”

One student suggests, “When, from a distance, you can distinguish between a dog and a sheep?”
“No,” the Rabbi answers.

“Is it when you can distinguish between a fig tree and a grapevine?” asks a second student.
“No,” the Rabbi says.

“Please tell us the answer, then,” say the perplexed students.

“It is,” says the wise teacher, ”when you have enough light to look human beings in the face and recognize them as your brothers and sisters. Until then the darkness is still with us.”

If you think about it, this rabbinical saying is packed with insight into the human condition. Typically, how we see or perceive a situation or individual determines how we feel. Our feelings in turn heavily influence how we respond. In the end, if our vision is blurred by prejudices or self interests, our reaction to others will be influenced accordingly.

Jesus had eyes focused by divine lenses. This resulted, not in a pious attempt to insulate his holiness from sin, but a tender compassion to counter their sin with his holiness. Where some saw sinners to be avoided, Jesus saw potential sons of God. Where some saw the need to shun disease, Jesus saw the opportunity to show deliverance. Where some saw trouble, Jesus saw triumph. Where most saw death, Jesus gave life.

With the coming of Christ, the long night of the kingdom of darkness gave way to the dawn of God's kingdom. As Jesus engaged his broken world so we are to engage ours. Faces and times have changed, but the need remains the same. May God remove the darkness and grant us eyes to recognize all humans beings as his special creation in desperate need of God’s love. In so doing, the light of Christmas will continue to illuminate our hearts.