Christ’s light shines through us
It was a rather boring meeting until the person seated beside me said, “When I retire, which will be quite soon, I want to study the phenomenon of light.” He continued, saying that this was an entirely new field for him, and that he had become increasingly curious to the point of being captivated by the fact that light continues to mystify the greatest minds and science itself. New dimensions are being discovered that exceed our knowledge and understanding and defy explanation. Light itself is beyond us. I didn’t doubt the truth of his assertion.
Yet, my mind turned quickly from science to season, to Epiphany, when we celebrate a holy truth – that the Light of the world which is indeed beyond us has come to be with us. In this festive Epiphany season when we hear again the Biblical story replete with rich images of kings, magi and more, we hear of those who saw firsthand the light that illumines the world in the face of Jesus.
This is a magical story, but not just that. It is a personal story, one that beckons us to more than simply muse about its wonder. Through it, we are invited to see and to be what Jesus saw in us when he said, “You are the light of the world.”
That’s a heavy calling and the truth is we won’t carry it out by forcing a happy face or having the brightest smile, nice as each may be. It is much more likely that Christ will shine through us as we are willing to be real people who know darkness and doubt, but who are willing to go forth, living and acting in faith one step at a time as best we can.
In that spirit, I offer these favorite and oft referred to words by Henri Nouwen that hold both predictability and promise:
“Often we want to be able to see into the future. We say, ‘How will next year be for me? Where will I be five or ten years from now? There are no answers to these questions. Mostly we have just enough light to see the next step: what we have to do in the coming hour or the following day. The art of living is to enjoy what we can see and not complain about what remains in the dark. When we are able to take the next step with the trust that we will have enough light for the step that follows, we can walk through life with joy and be surprised at how far we go. Let’s rejoice in the little light we carry and not ask for the great beam that would take all shadows away.” (Bread for the Journey)
We shall very soon shift seasons from Epiphany to Lent. The Lenten invitation to prayer, to read and meditate on God’s holy Word, and more, could be the perfect prescription for seeing the light in our midst and carrying that light to the world.
May God help us to do both and may these holy seasons be times of blessing.
