by Joanie Butman
I brought my daughter and her fiancée to witness the annual light extravaganza in my old Brooklyn neighborhood this year. It never fails to delight. The wise men would have had no problem following the light projected from Dyker Heights during the Christmas season. Who knows? If they had that beacon guiding them, they may have arrived sooner. Last week’s post discussed being illuminators, which these residents clearly embrace. However, that begs another, more important question, “Who or what are you illuminating?”
There was one standout that illustrates my point in asking the aforementioned query. Every inch of the house and yard was bedazzled in blue lights – not my choice of coloring for Christmas but eye catching for sure. What made this house stand out, however, was not its brightness or hue but a large easel by the front door. On it was a photo of the homeowner holding a sign that proudly announced, “I LOVE ME!” I was driving, but my daughter assured me that was what the sign boasted. I found it so hard to believe I called my friend who lives nearby and asked her to go take a look. She confirmed my daughter’s observation.
It appalled me that anyone would use Christmas to honor themselves. That homeowner made his god glaringly obvious, but I don’t think he’s alone in the desire to be god of his own life. It’s been humanity’s downfall since Eve took that apple. She wanted to be God’s equal. Historically, that desire has led to all kinds of evil.
I may not be erecting an easel to announce my own self-importance, but it made me think long and hard about the place God holds in my own life. Is He on the throne or do I sometimes try to steal His seat? I can’t deny my trust in Him wavers from time to time, and I’m tempted to think I know better what needs to be done despite my pathetic track record when I’ve acted on those thoughts.
That brings me back to the question, “exactly who and what am I illuminating to the world?” God and His values, or am I grappling for the spotlight which helps no one? I may have been appalled by that man’s display, but I’m thankful for his reminder to think seriously about what kind of light I’m emitting. We are God’s light display for the rest of the world. The sacrifices Jesus and His disciples suffered to keep His light burning are unimaginable to us. Luckily, we are not asked to go to such extremes, but God does want others to see His light glowing in our lives. God reveals Himself to others through us. We can choose to do that by taking time (our most valuable asset) and devoting it to caring for, encouraging and building each other up. Our Christianity shouldn’t be defined by what church we belong to but how we choose to live our lives. When we take time to share in each other’s daily burdens, struggles, joys, sorrows, triumphs and failures, we embody the kind of light Christ brought into the world on that first Christmas. Jane Hillsmen describes His light beautifully: “Christmas will always be in the hearts of God’s children everywhere as they extend a helping hand to a friend in need…as they go about reflecting God’s goodness in the little quiet and unheralded expressions of a loving heart…as they share the light of the world with those who live in darkness.”
I’ve written about my husband’s Christmas light display before, and while it pales in comparison to Brooklyn, it’s beautiful in its simplicity. Maybe next year I’ll add an easel of my own pointing to Christ – the true Light of the World and brighter than anything Dyker Heights could hope to emanate. It’s His light we need to be illuminating first and always.
