This is the Way

A few years ago, I was out for a walk through the woods with Don. As the path narrowed, I led the way and at one point turned to see where Don was, while continuing to walk forward. My foot lodged in a rabbit hole, the momentum of my body carried me on and I sprained an ankle. Ouch.

When Peter had his famous encounter with Jesus after the resurrection on the shores of Galilee, he listened to Jesus’ plans for his future and then looked round and asked what John’s future held. He was told it was none of his business and to concentrate on his own life, keeping his eyes on Jesus.

Comparing ourselves to someone else can lead to envy, but it can also cause us to miss our footing on our own path and either get hurt or get lost and end up on a parallel but different path. It takes discipline to continue to look forward but it is foolish to take our eyes off the road in front. 

Whether you walk to the right or the left, you will hear a voice behind you saying ‘This is the way, walk in it.’ (Isaiah 30:21)

Dying Embers

Spent the last half hour trying to revive a dying fire. It’s a lot of work and still touch and go whether or not it will catch. The wood is smouldering. Some bits of coal look hopefully red. But it’s not hot enough even to set the paper alight. I don’t see many signs of life.

It reminds me of Paul writing to Timothy, advising him to fan into flame his faith in God. It’s easy to get distracted. To grow cool. To be content with the glowing embers rather than craving the crackling flames. Then, when the winds of the world blow cold on us and we long for the warmth of God’s love, we find ourselves distanced from him. He hasn’t moved, but we have allowed the fire of our love to grow dim.

In Jesus’ letters to the churches in Revelation which John records, he advises that we remember our first love (for him) and get back to that state of passion and excitement. We can allow ourselves to settle for embers when we should be fanning them into flames. 

If we want God to set the world on fire (in a good way!), we need to be giving him everything we have so he can work through us. 

Not sure this fire is going to get going before I decide to just go to bed. I am sure that with God’s help my love for him is going to carry on burning strong.

Light of the World

Russian friends told us recently that a law in their country requires headlights to be in a permanent ON position, day and night. One of them admitted that frequently he had drained the battery by forgetting to turn them off when he stopped and parked his car.

Years ago, the day that Bobby Kennedy was assassinated, as an 18-year-old I drove to work, heartbroken, and put the headlights on the car as a show of sorrow and respect. I, too, forgot to turn them off, and drained the battery and had to have my dad and grandpa come and jump start me after my shift.

When it is daylight, it is hard to notice the lights shining. When it is night, it would be rare to walk away from a car with the headlights still blazing.

There is a lot of reference to light in the Bible. Jesus is the light of the world. We, too, are the light of the world, as Christians. Not that we are the source of light, but we are conduits of the Light, as long as we remain connected to the Source.

Christmas is a time of celebrating. It is the darkest time of the year – today is the shortest day I believe – and yet it is at times of deep darkness that the light is more apparent.

The light shines in the darkness, John wrote, and the darkness cannot extinguish it. Light drives out the darkness. 

May the light of Christ shine on you, in you, and through you today.