Taken from Sunday's Service 6 January 2019
Scripture readings
I would make the case that
people are drawn to the light. On of my greatest pleasures in my home is the
fireplace where a merry blaze can be seen any time the temperatures dip below
60 degrees. My mother and father would come to sit before this fire. I wasn’t
ever sure they wanted to see me as much as enjoy the dancing flames. So too, Lonny’s
mother, Ruby, and Lonny himself. When Lonny still had the pleasure of reading,
he would rise most mornings and sit in a rocker before the fire well into the
warm Spring. He kept his Bible there and would read it until he fell asleep again.
In recent days I have
fashioned myself a place in one of those rockers, surrounded by books and a
computer and a place for a cup of coffee or tea or wine, depending upon the
time of day.
At Christmas we put out
lights that twinkle and burn brightly. We even put out firelitos and
luminarias. When I was a child Mom and Dad would pick a December evening after
school let out for Christmas holiday. We would tour the neighborhoods in
Roswell and Dexter looking at the lights. In El Paso, I lived near a
neighborhood that put on such a celebrated Christmas display that the street
department finally had to close their street to traffic after midnight in order
that the residents could get some sleep and to let the air clear of exhaust
fumes.
So, yes, the more I think on
it the more I know that humans are drawn to light. It is comforting warm and
merry. It promises safe harbor and renewed spirit.
But there are more than one
kind of lights.
Lucifer for instance, means
light bringer. In Isaiah 14 it referring to the king of Babylon and his fall,
Lucifer is described as the morning star that fell from the heavens. This
passage led to future translations and made common the use as a name for Satan.
In his works, Dante Alighieri used Lucifer as a name for the devil.
In folklore a Will-O’-the
Wisp is a ghost light seen at night by travelers, especially hovering over
stagnant water. It is known also as Jack -O’-the-Lantern hinkypunk and hobby
lantern. These far off mytic lights lure people off paths and into danger. In
literature they are a metaphor for an impossible goal or vain hope, or even
something sinister and confounding.
As
I look back on Christmas again this year, I see the two lights, the light of
the joy and breathtaking hope and the light of infatuation and lies.
Our
passage from Isaiah says opens with
“Arise,
shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
2 See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.”
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
2 See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.”
We
can see in this passage a prophecy, and our own hope.
For
prophecy we know that the glory of the Lord shown round about those associated
with the Holy birth. We know also that Jesus is the light of the world and had
come into this world and walked among us.
For
our own hope we learn that God’s glory rises upon us. His glory appears over
us. The notion of mere man being so delivered stuns us into silence and wonder.
The majesty and humility of Christmas is impossible to hold. It is for us. God
came in splendor and humility for us, not only shining, but shining on us.
On
the other hand, I see countless people struggling with insurmountable debt
after Christmas. I hear beautiful carols turned to a mush of dirty snow in veneration
of commerce, and light displays that ascribe glory more to the decorator than
to the humble Holy infant.
Paul
tells us in our passage from Philippians 214 Do
everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that
you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without
fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among
them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to
the word of life.
He
tells us how to shine, how to glorify God. Paul tells us how to accomplish the
joyful instruction of Isaiah to rise and shine for our light has come.
Paul
also says Therefore, my dear friends, as you
have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my
absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for
it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill
his good purpose.
For
it is God who works in us to will and to act.
So,
there is a double meaning in my use of Will O’ the Wisp. I may be stretching
things thin but bear with me. In legend, Will means the name Will or short for
William, but I mean it also as will, man’s will, man’s willy-nilly will. It’s
sort of wispy. It is not focused on the light. It is focused on swamp gas. We
can see it in our choices at Christmas.
Listening
to KLOVE on the radio last month I heard a segment where folks were asked to
call in about their Christmas shopping habits. The DJ made the case that every
year she bought a few “presents” for herself along with the gifts for Christmas
day. She admitted that she had been a bit unruly this year and was asking for
callers to spill the beans on themselves. I thought about calling in, trying to
remember what the silliest thing I’d done for myself at Christmas time: new
shoes, new dresses, pedicures (because people are so going see my feet in
sandals in the middle of winter,) a ridiculously expensive bottle of champagne,
and countless trinkets from the potter’s guild that I would give to my husband
and tell him to wrap. He would snort and hand them back.
I’m
not saying there is anything wrong in a renewed sense of celebration, but I
wonder at our focus.
Several
years ago, I was taking my son to a Christmas party and we had some extra
minutes to spare. It was the first week of December and like so many other
first weeks of December it was crazy and hectic, and I was behind schedule and
behind in prayer and behind in work and struggling to come up with perfect
gifts for an increasing number of family members. We turned off second street
and headed into a residential neighborhood with a nice display of lights.
Suddenly a house came into view with huge red letters spelling the name Jesus.
That was all the house had, Jesus, almost sacrilegious it was so bold. We
laughed, and I still laugh today when I think of it. It was as if the homeowner
was saying, enough already. This is God’s holiday. You all are making a mess of
things and I’m going to point you in the proper direction and I’m going to do
it with read lights. Maybe it was swamp gas, but it got my attention. I
lightened up smiled and enjoyed beautiful music for the remainder of the
season.
Our
passage from Matthew reads: “You are the light of
the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither
do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its
stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your
light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and
glorify your Father in heaven.
It
reminds us that we are the light. We have been given the light from our Father
in Heaven. We see again that impossible marriage of humility and majesty that
is the birth of Jesus. We work out our salvation with fear and trembling, yes,
and awe and breathlessness. From Isaiah, God shines upon us. We remember He
shines upon us. We will see and be radiant and our hearts will tremble and
rejoice. And people will come from afar, multitudes of people will glorify God.
All we have to do is let our God-given light shine before others according to
God’s will, not our will o’ the wisp.
💕💕
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