I always thought Christmas lights were…you know, nice. I loved to see them as a child, and when I became an adult, they’ve always made me smile, when they start appearing on houses every December.
But I have gained a whole new perspective on Christmas lights since my grandson came along. Somehow, when we see the world reflected in the face and eyes of a little one, it seems new and wonderful to us again, too.
I loved holding Andrew up to the Christmas tree to show him the lights for his first Christmas. I didn’t enjoy it as much trying to keep him from eating the lights during his second Christmas. But let me tell you, we both have a real blast looking at Christmas lights from “Gwampa’s dok-wed Fod Wanger twuk!” (Translation: “Grandpa’s dark-red Ford Ranger truck”)
I started taking him home in my truck after AWANA on Sunday nights. We both look forward to it. I buckle him in the jump-seat in the back of the truck, and we drive home together…usually with a detour through the car wash. (He loves the car wash. I should have bought stock in the car wash.) But you can only wash your truck so many times, and it’s starting to get too cold to go through the car wash. So one Sunday night not long ago I was trying to figure out how to drive past the car wash without Andrew seeing it. That’s when I saw the Christmas lights in the park.
“Andrew, look!” I said. “They put up Christmas lights in the park! Let’s go see ‘em!” Well, he thought that was a grand idea. So we spent the next 20 minutes driving slowly around the park – three times – looking at every display, every one of the “triangle shapes” (I said, “I think those are supposed to look like Christmas trees.”), and every string of lights around every window, every slide and swing-set, and every fence. (Who knew an old gray chain-link fence could inspire such wonder with the simple addition of a string of lights?) I didn’t think we were ever going to get home that night.
Now, when it gets dark and we go out to look at the lights in the park, we slowly roam the neighborhood first…because more lights appear on more houses every day that we get closer to Christmas. “Andrew, look,” I’ll say, “someone has put lights all over that house!” (A special shout-out to Mr. Jim Easter: spectacular, sir! Your house gets the Grandson Seal of Approval!) And Andrew and I have noticed something: the darker it gets, the brighter the lights shine.
Our world looks pretty dark sometimes. The thing is, it’s been pretty dark before.
In a bleak, grim time at the crossroads of the ancient world, a solitary figure strode back from the desert and began to preach in a region called Galilee. Like the shining of a powerful light, Jesus Christ burst onto the scene, announcing, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17) And this was the fulfillment of a centuries-old prophecy which said: “…the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” (Matthew 4:16, quoting Isaiah 9:1,2) Jesus said of Himself, “I am the Light of the world.” (John 8:12; John 9:5) And the darker the world gets, the more we need His light…and the brighter Jesus shines!
Every Christmas light can be a reminder of Him who is the Light of the world. And believe me, it helps a lot if you look at ‘em with a 3-year old! If you have lights on your house, and you see a dark-red Ford Ranger truck come rolling slowly by, it’s probably me and Andrew, admiring your lights. Thanks for puttin’ ‘em up! (Saves me the trouble!)
Merry Christmas, folks!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor David