Dear Friends:

The decorations for the Christmas breakfast for clients and colleagues were wonderful. Patricia carefully planned the centerpieces with angels and holly illumined by white tapered candles. On the top of the piano she arranged a miniature forest of red and green wooden trees interspersed with small candles in star-shaped holders.

On the morning of the breakfast, my colleague Kerry began to light the table candles. He did this quickly and efficiently. I tried to help but literally tore up one box of matches before getting started.

Finally, I struck a match on the side of a new box and it flamed up nicely. I touched it to the wick of one of the candles on the piano. It proved tough to ignite, but I persisted. When I succeeded, I moved on to the next one and on down the row.

Karen, the soloist for the morning and her husband, Ed, were admiring the decorations. “Those little candles are nice,” Ed said to me. “Karen has some like those, only they are battery-powered aren’t they?”

“Yes, they are,” Karen said.

“I guess Patricia went with the real deal,” I replied, intent on my lighting duties.

“Whoa,” Ed exclaimed suddenly. I looked back to see the first candle I lit flaring up spectacularly. The next one burst into flames too. Ed started snuffing them out and others came to the rescue. The smell of burning plastic wafted through the air.

Turning over one of the smoldering globs, I discovered the stunning truth. I had just done my part for Christmas cheer by setting fire to six battery-powered candles that now resembled marshmallows toasted by an over-eager camper.

I sank down on the piano bench in dismay. Patricia peered over the piano at me as she placed new candles and switched them on to a lovely flickering glow. I knew her look. There were no words. Only laughter would do. The gathering guests shared in it.

“It never even occurred to me to tell you not to light those candles,” Patricia said. “Why would it?”

“There’s a lesson in here somewhere,” I told her, “like I shouldn’t be allowed to play with matches.”

Later, I presented the message that follows as a homily after warning the group that I was proven unqualified to speak on the subject of light.

. . .

In this season, as in no other, thoughts of night enter our consciousness. The days shorten. Clouds often obscure the sun. The long darkness of winter cloaks us. We drowse with inaction and complacency. Listen to this classic statement of the phenomenon —

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap . . . .

–Clement Clarke Moore

In response to such a vision of enervating surrender to the darkness, the Apostle Paul sings out a baptismal hymn of the Early Church —

Sleeper, awake!

Rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.

(Eph 5:14)

In fact, absence of light causes our craving for it to grow. Our bodies need light for health. Our eyes require light to see. Light gives us evidence that we are not alone in the darkness.

It is a powerful statement by God to his people that Christ was born at night. The primal light of the Creation was renewed and magnified when, as the Apostle John wrote, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it . . . The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world” (Jn 1: 5.9).

The nativity story shows our need for that light. Before Jesus’ birth, Mary and Joseph search for lodging with light and warmth (Lk 2:7). Shepherds keep night watch over the safety of their flocks when the glory of the Lord shines upon them and the angel tells them, “Do not be afraid; for see–I am bringing you news of great joy for all the people” (Lk 2:10) The three wise men travel by night and follow a star to find and worship the newborn Christ (My 2:1-2).

Without the light we are destitute, fearful, and lost. With the coming of the light, we are found. Our Christmas light displays and glowing trees all express our longing for the light and our joy when it reaches us. It is light, whether by fireplace, candle or lamp, that we think of when our hearts are drawn toward homecoming in this holiday season.

Jesus left us no doubt about his identity as the true Light-Source. He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but have the light of life” (Jn 8:12).

The commercial exploitation of the images of light and home in this season interfere with our view of the true Light of the World in the way that the ambient glow of street lights obscures the stars. We have to get away from all of the artificial light if we want to see Jesus, “the true light” (Jn 1:9). That’s why the shepherds out in the fields saw the glory of God that those packing the inn that night didn’t see at all. That’s why the three wise men from the east on a pilgrimage across the desert saw a star that King Herod living only five miles away from Bethlehem never saw.

Does the advent season find us stringing lights and looking for an electrical socket or does it find us following the star to find Christ to worship him (Matt 2:2)? Stringing the lights leaves us with a job to do and a bill to pay; following the star leads us to redeeming grace and freedom.

“O taste and see that the Lord is good. Happy are those who take refuge in him” (Ps 34:8).

Under the mercy of Christ,

Kent

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Please note that the content and viewpoints of Mr. Hansen are his own and are not necessarily those of the C.S. Lewis Foundation. We have not edited his writing in any substantial way and have permission from him to post his content.

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Kent Hansen is a Christian attorney, author and speaker. He practices corporate law and is the managing attorney of the firm of Clayson, Mann, Yaeger & Hansen in Corona, California. Kent also serves as the general counsel of Loma Linda University and Medical Center in Loma Linda, California.

Finding God’s grace revealed in the ordinary experiences of life, spiritual renewal in Christ and prayer are Kent’s passions. He has written two books, Grace at 30,000 Feet and Other Unexpected Places published by Review & Herald in 2002 and Cleansing Fire, Healing Streams: Experiencing God’s Love Through Prayer, published by Pacific Press in spring 2007. Many of his stories and essays about God’s encompassing love have been published in magazines and journals. Kent is often found on the hiking trails of the southern California mountains, following major league baseball, playing the piano or writing his weekly email devotional, “A Word of Grace for Your Monday” that is read by men and women from Alaska to Zimbabwe.