Years ago one December, Dick and I visited Williamsburg, VA during one of my singing engagements. Williamsburg is a beautiful city, with rich colonial history dating back to the late 1600s and was the capital of Virginia during the 1700s. Our interest in the area of Williamsburg and Jamestown, VA (the first English settlement) centers around the amazing historical fact that the Weisiger family documents Pocahontas, the Indian maiden, in the Weisiger genealogy!
On our visit to Williamsburg that December, I remember being entranced by the display of lighted candles in every window of the quaint homes. The small candles gave a warm glow throughout the city welcoming visitors during the Christmas season. I was so enraptured with that quiet, gentle lighting that when we returned to our home in Wyckoff, NJ, I promptly bought individual candles for every window. I have continued the tradition as we've moved about and still love the delicate effect the lighted candles have during the month of December.
LIGHT! Yes, light has great meaning and the lighting of just one little candle makes us smile. Isn't it interesting that Jesus is referred to as 'the light of the world'. How often we read in scripture about light.....John 1:9 - "The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world." 1 Timothy 6:16 - " (15 b " the King of kings and Lord of lords,) who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen." Acts 9:3-6 - "Now as he (Paul) journeyed he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed about him. And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?' And he said, 'Who are you, Lord?' And he said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting; but rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.'"
I am reminded of that amazing experience on the night of May 26, 2010, when Jesus appeared to me in a vision filled with light...shafts of over-powering sunlight, interspersed with radiating colors of the rainbow...so that I knew the vision was Jesus! His words to me that night told me I would be healed of lethal, aggressive, rare brain cancer...and I was healed!...defying all medical statistics. Yes, the radiance, glow, brightness and warmth of light indicates the presence of Jesus.
One scripture passage I love are the beautiful first five verses of the Gospel of John.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:1-5
Lately verse five has really reverberated in my brain...."The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." The past few weeks and months we have been alarmed by the horrendous, murderous acts of radical Islamic terrorists. We are frightened, we are cautious, we feel helpless and we might even change travel or shopping plans. So when I repeat that verse 5, I am reminded of what it means. The 'darkness' is the enemy or Satan. We live in a fallen, sinful world and that 'darkness' wants to smother us with fear. But what is more powerful? Light! Light displaces darkness, light helps us 'see', light gives us protection, light makes us feel safe, light gives us warmth....and who is the source of that light? JESUS! "And the darkness has not overcome it" ......Jesus is more powerful than darkness! What a blessed thought these days.
As I travel around our town after the sun has set and the night darkness rapidly encroaches, Christmas lights joyously shine on houses and outside displays. Lighted candles gleam from windows, white twinkling lights dot trees and buildings. The message is strong....It is Christmastime and the lights are shining. We are reminded that we are celebrating the miracle of God's gift to our world...the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, in a humble stable in Bethlehem. Jesus, the light of the world has come to remind us that God has not forgotten us and that He loves us with glorious intensity.
This week we attended several concerts and programs filled with the message of Christmas. Singing the carols, viewing the re-enactment of the Christmas story complete with Mary, Joseph and the Babe plus the shepherds and the sheep, and the Wise Men bringing gifts.....candles lighting churches and worshippers holding lighted candles.....we are moved again by the presence of Almighty God who knows what we need this Christmas....His Presence! We are thankful He is here.
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory , glory as of the only Son from the Father." John 1:14
