One of our family’s favourite traditions this time of year is to get a mug full of hot chocolate, bundle up in jammies and blankets, warm up the vehicle, and drive all through Ilderton looking at the lights. Some cause us to be mesmerized, others cause us to chuckle. But as a family, we love taking the time to be together and play Christmas music as the lights break through the darkness.
Lights are captivating. The twinkle of stars, the flicker of a fire, the decorations of Christmas are enthralling. They draw us in. They warm our hearts. They redirect our gaze. In the darkest time of the year, the lights of Christmas invite us out of the darkness.
When I think about how lights have a way of capturing our attention, it’s no surprise that one of the key ideas of Scripture is light. Salvation is seen as coming into the light out of the darkness (1 Pe. 2:9). Moral purity is described as light (1 Jn. 1:5) . God’s Word is described as a light (Ps. 119:105).
These pictures come from the very opening words of God in Genesis 1:3: “Let there be light!” We need light to see, to guide us, and to correct us. And it is only in God’s light that we see light (Ps. 36:9).
As we go through this season to prepare our hearts for Christ and his return, the lights in the darkest time of the year remind us that darkness will not win. The light has come, and darkness has not overcome it (Jn. 1:5).
Whether you put lights on your house, have the light flickering from candles or the fireplace, or have the twinkling lights from your tree, there is a reminder all around us: in the darkness, light overcomes. Sin will not be victorious. Evil will not win. Tears may last in the night, but God’s joy comes in the morning (Ps. 30:5).
God has come, and he is coming again. His light brings life (Jn. 1:4).
So light a candle. Turn on the Christmas lights. Be captivated by the lights of Christmas, and let your heart think of the light of the world that has shone into your heart (2 Cor. 4:6).
Thankful for illumination,
Andrew