A Festival of Lights

RON HAMILTON, CCCC CONFERENCE MINISTER

The city of St. Paul, Minnesota started a Festival of Lights celebration the weekend before Thanksgiving that runs through early January. The city parks are decorated with festive lights throughout the holiday season. The Hallmark Channel has chosen to make Rice Park in St. Paul one of its locations for its online Christmas Cam,  featuring the 40-foot-tall Tree of Lights sponsored by the Salvation Army.

This reminds us that Jesus came as the Light of the world. When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. (John 1:4)

While we are encouraged by this truth, we also recognize that many people in the world do not see this or understand it. For them it is a time of holiday spirit not a spiritual awakening. Paul explains this in 2 Corinthians 4:4-6:
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

There are two profound truths in this passage. One is that people are living in darkness because Satan has blinded their eyes. The other is that the light of life shines in the hearts and lives of those who put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Christmas mission is clear. We are to let the light of Christ shine through us to a world
that lives in spiritual darkness. This is not a time to complain about darkness and bemoan the reality that people are confused and blind to the truth. It’s a season to hold a Festival of Lights. This happens when our churches proclaim that Jesus is the light of the world. The light of Christ shines through our lives and people notice that God has transformed us through the Gospel.

For the past few years, we have put lights on a pine tree in our backyard during the Christmas season. We were not going to do it this year because the tree had grown, and it was hard to string the lights. We were also frustrated because only half of the lights from last year were working and we would have to buy more lights. But this all changed when a neighbor asked us if we were going to light the tree again this year. They said, “We always look forward to looking at that beautiful lighted tree!” We changed our minds and decorated the tree again.
Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)”