Our home rang with laughter and was crowded with dear friends last night, but the candles remained unlit. I doubt anyone noticed, but I felt a certain sadness at the end of the evening for missing that detail. I had hoped for that perfect holiday cheer, with candles and food and beautifully set tables, instead it was chaos and joy and only a chandelier reflected into the dark of the night. But maybe this is the essence of Christmas: light shines forth into the darkness, not candles, but light refelcted from us for the joy of the world.
What a beautiful truth. "This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light, in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him, yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But, if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin," 1 John 1:5-7
John's words echo from his Gospel:
"In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it...
The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world,"
John 1:4-5, 9
The fellowship in our home did not need the light of candles. It was fellows walking together, sharing the light of God. Kindness and gentleness poured forth from lives intertwined by years of memories shared.
I wonder, do we bring the light of God to the world by the kindness we show?
Medicine from Sacred Writings:
"The King is everywhere present, and observes what is done...let us show forth in our life much gentleness, much purity, for we have a King who beholds all our actions continually. In order then that this light may ever richly enlighten us, let us gladly accept these bright beams, for so shall we enjoy both the good things present and those to come, through the grace and kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ."
St. John Chrysostom
Homily VI on John 14.25
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