The Adventures of Christmas Esimerkki

December 14th

Have you ever experienced pitch black? When I was in junior high my family and I took a guided tour of a cave. As we descended into the throat of the earth, we saw stalactites and stalagmites. We saw artwork graffitied across the ceiling, left by an ancient civilization. We saw rocks that had a mysterious glow because of the minerals they were made out of. We saw cracks, crevices and chambers that went on for miles. Out of all the things we saw, there was one thing that stood out to me. At the climax of our guided tour, the point person told us to be absolutely still and then he turned off the generated lights. Instantly, the room became ominously dark. It felt like we stepped into a black hole. I put my hand inches from my face, I stared, I strained but my eyes would not adjust. I simply could not see. I remember feeling disoriented, uncomfortable and vulnerable. I could be attacked by a bat or a rat and I wouldn’t see it coming. My mind began to whirl. What if there was a power outage and the lights could not be turned back on? How would we ever find our way back out? Fortunately, the point person quickly lit a candle in order to demonstrate the conditions the original miners had to work under. I never knew how much joy a little light could bring.

When I was in college I memorized the following poem: “When all around you is darkness, and you don’t know what to do, get on your knees and pray, until the light breaks through.”

Over two thousand years ago, Jesus looked into the faces of people eclipsed by darkness and said, “I am the light of the world. Who ever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8: 12)

For some people, Christmas is magical. They walk around like they’ve eaten the whole tin of Grandma’s cookies. They sing Christmas songs non-stop. Some gain new habits like holding every door open for strangers. For other people, Christmas is miserable. It’s a reminder of losing someone they loved.

Consider how you can be a light to others this Christmas:

Don’t give anybody a fruitcake.

Don’t make fun of a Bears fan.

Tell your mom you love her.

Bake cookies for your pastor.

Exclaim, “It’s just what I’ve always wanted!” with every gift you receive.

Give a hug, say a prayer, offer to pay.