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The New and Improved Light
by annie keys Tonight, at our church's annual candlelight communion service, the usher at the door offered me a small plastic stick. He explained that for safety, this "light stick" had replaced the traditional candle and then explained how I would whack it to activate it. Whack it? Activate it?The candle represents Christ's light in us to a lost world, and I'm going to 'whack and activate it'? I smiled till my teeth were dry, thanked him and headed for the sanctuary without a light stick. My husband sat beside me. I whispered, "What's up with this?" He had already whacked his light and was enjoying it. He said, "It's a light stick, cool, huh?" I turned my attention forward, trying to focus on the scripture that was being read. The Pastor spokeabout the night Christ was born. I sat there, pondering the light of Christ. It was impossible to convince myself that it was ok to represent this divine light with a fluorescent plastic tube; that had to be whacked to be activated. The Pastor finished his lesson and told us all to come forward for communion. After we partook of the elements, he told everyone to 'whack their light stick'.The girls and ladies whacked their sticks. All the men and boys, having activated the light of Christ as soon as they were seated, waved their light sticks. I still did not have a light stick. I did not want a light stick and certainly would not WHACK the "light of Christ" even if I DID have one! As we all made a giant circle around the sanctuary, holding the softly glowing light sticks, I wondered how God felt about representing the light of His precious Son with a whack and glow light stick. Maybe He was in heaven telling His archangel, Gabriel, "come look at what these crazy kids are doing". Everyone stood, holding their glowing sticks, and sang "Silent Night". I stood somberly; telling God I was sorry his precious light was being represented by a whack and glow light stick. Thoroughly emotionally traumatized, I was relieved when we all moved toward the back to exit the sanctuary.We all left to go out into the world, to take the light of Christ to everyone. As we walked to our car, I still struggled to envision the Light of Christ, the light of the world, God's precious Son, represented as a light stick that had to be whacked to activate it.Then, the Holy Spirit spoke personal revelation to my heart. I knew that not even the wonders of technology could ever diminish the truth; Christ is the light of the world and he has called you and me to take that light to a lost world. Technology hadn't belittled the example; it had only served to keep us safe so nobody would set anybody's coat on fire. John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." I'm a wife, mother, a grandmother and I love to write! I'm a retired Pastor's Secretary and a former Assistant Kid's church Pastor. I write Children's material and devotions. I love to use 'real life', especially the exploits of children, to illustrate scriptural truth. www.rubberontheroad.org Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |