The Light of the Christmas Star is STILL Shining!

On Monday, I began the sad and arduous process of taking down the Christmas decorations in our home. Because of some specific family traditions, we have had our decorations up since the day before Thanksgiving, so the festive merriment has been a huge part of our lives for the better part of the past six weeks. That being the case, taking them down is a little sad. On the other hand, there is something cathartic about reclaiming our home in its more everyday fashion, and it helps me begin to look forward to next November when our home will once again be the festive wonderland that we adore.

The process of decorating and de-decorating is an important one as we welcome the Christmas spirit into our collective consciousness. As the song, The Christmas Waltz states, it truly seems to be the time when the world falls in love. But as the New Year arrives and our schedules and routines normalize, it is astonishing how quickly we leave Christmas in the old year and worry about things like groundhogs, valentine gifts, and getting our income tax documents prepared. It seems like eons ago we were lighting candles, singing Silent Night, and filling Christmas wish lists. I know it reeks of cliché, but we really do need to learn how to let the spirit of Christmas order our everyday lives!

Part of our church’s Advent and Christmas emphasis was looking at various aspects of GOD’s miraculous love and how it has the ability to change our lives in the here-and-now. One particular aspect of this was how we talked about the Christmas star announcing the birth of Jesus as it pierced the darkness and proclaimed the perpetual light of GOD in our hearts and in our world. The fact that we are called to be light-bearers for the world means that the light that forever pierced the darkness on that first Christmas morning has the ability to pierce the darkness we experience today! That light has not been extinguished, and based on the scripture, it cannot be extinguished! Friends, this is the essence of eternal hope, for the Light of the World has come.

I was doing some reflection about the light of the Christmas star into the New Year while I began de-decorating our house on Monday. This scripture passage from Isaiah was at the heart of that reflection: “The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your GOD will be your glory. Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end” (Isaiah 60.19-20, emphasis mine). The power of this passage reminds us that it is GOD whose light shines perpetually! It overcomes the darkness we experience in our personal life and in our collective life in this world. So again: the light of the Christmas star that pierced the darkness of the world when Jesus was born still has darkness-piercing power when we welcome the LORD into our lives.

If you are entering 2013 experiencing darkness of this world, know that the light of GOD that we celebrated at Christmas is still shining! If you are still basking in the loving glow of Christmas morning, know that you have the ability – and responsibility – to bear the light for others that vanquishes the darkness. The light of the Christmas star is indeed shining still, and shines every time we allow our lives to point people to Jesus. Just as the light of the Christmas star led the Magi (or wise men) to Jesus, we can point people to the everlasting love of GOD as we light the way for others!

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden…
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5.14, 16)

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!