Christmas Light

Did you put up a tree for Christmas? We did. In fact we have five trees this year. The most humble is a Charlie Brown tree, and there is something about it that I really love. It is pictured above, along with two carolers that we made many years ago.

We have three trees that are aluminum, I suppose, and 3 or 4 feet tall with lights on the end of their many branches.

And there is our “green” tree in the entryway of our home. For decades we bought a new freshly cut tree every year and decorated it with strings of lights, ornaments, and of course an angel on top holding a star. We still use that angel… but who can say just how old an angel is? The light shines through her, just as I imagine it should.

Our big tree, the green tree, has been of the artificial variety for quite a while now, and this one comes with its own lights and a button that will change their color. We leave them on steady white all the time, and we add decorations. This year we (I say we as if I actually helped) only used red bows and red poinsettia blooms. It looks great.

Evergreen trees (and before that branches) have been used around the winter solstice for centuries, and the tradition took on a spiritual meaning as Jesus followers began to call them “Christmas trees.” It is said that many Christians came to see the evergreen tree as a sign of eternal life with God, since it stays green all year. In some way, perhaps, our tree is more evergreen than any of those which are cut down and brought inside. Although it is a tree that was never alive, it is still a reminder of eternal life.

But the tree, at least for me, does not bring my thoughts to Jesus quite like the lights.

Let’s go see the lights!

We live in Arizona, where the weather is friendly in the winter. Not that snow is unfriendly, but as they say around here, you don’t have to shovel sunshine. Anyway, part of the fun of warmer temps is discovered when it is time to drive around and “see the lights.” Some neighborhoods, in fact, have walking paths so you can park the car and walk around as you enjoy music and decorations and other people, including kids, doing the same thing. The main attraction, of course, is the lights.

Which leads me to ask the question, Why are we so drawn to light?

Apparently it was the great reformer Martin Luther who first put candles on a Christmas tree to represent the stars in the sky above Bethlehem when Jesus was born. Perhaps he even put a larger candle on top to represent the star that guided the Wise Men to Jesus.

There are many forms of decoration for Christmas that honor the babe of Bethlehem. The wreath, for instance, is a circle that depicts both eternity and God’s unending love. It is usually on or over a door as a sign of welcome. In fact it was once known in Europe and even America as a “welcome ring.” I’m pretty sure those welcome rings didn’t have cameras or microphones, like the modern day “you may or may not be welcome” ring. Unless the company has come out with a Christmas model, which would be fun.

The decoration you see most, though, is lights. They come in many different forms, from Rudolph’s nose to spotlights to strands of lights to candy cane lights. You will find them on houses, on roofs of houses, on trees, and lining driveways and sidewalks. There’s even a TV show about Christmas lights!

It is another example of how we are drawn to light.

Our attraction to light…

I asked my AI research assistant why humans are drawn to light. Its initial response was:

Humans are drawn to lights because light affects the brain’s chemistry, reduces fear in darkness, and carries strong emotional and cultural meanings. Twinkling or colored lights add beauty and pattern, which the brain finds especially rewarding.

It had more to say, of course, about things like emotions, memory, and nostalgia; aesthetics and patterns; and social and seasonal reasons.

What it missed was an idea I’ve thought of over the years — as perhaps you have — Jesus. Hear me out, then let me know what you think.

The Bible begins with an account of creation that says, “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep…. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.” God then called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” The Bible then says, “And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.”

You may find it interesting to note that the sun and moon and stars were not created until Day 4. So what was the source of the light on Day 1? I’m glad you asked.

The book of John in the New Testament, begins like this:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Many know that Jesus is “the Word,” but we should remember — especially at Christmas — that Jesus is the Light.

The Light

Why are we attracted to light? Because the light is Jesus. His coming to earth as a baby is what Christmas is about. Every time we see a light at Christmas, we are reminded that the light (of Jesus) shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.

Do good, enjoy the lights, be thankful for the light, and…

have a very Merry and Beautiful Christmas!!