Nothing brings light like a child, or acting like one

What if by “you are the light of the world” Jesus really meant,”Go, lighten your world?”

Not shine light on dark things. Not draw attention with your sparkle. Not even ‘reflect My light,’ because He knew the day would come when the dark would grow darker and the Christ light would seem dimmer.

What if, ‘you are the light’ didn’t mean we’ve got illumination? What if it meant, go play. Go bring joy. Go and bring the fun with you. The world needs light-ening. It needs the sparkle and glimmer of laughter. It needs hopping and skipping. It needs jump rope and sidewalk chalk. It needs puppies and play things, doll houses and imagination. It needs pure, unadulterated whimsy. It needs all those things we do for no good reason, except the joy.

Have we forgotten how to play?

Have we become so engrossed in figuring things out that we have lost the wonder, the mystery, the magic?

Perhaps our light is not meant to be a bright beacon, but a spark. A lighting of life, a lightening of life, a load-lifting, effervescence that giggles, then chuckles, then breaks into guffaw. Even in a quiet place, especially in a silent place. That silent and holy night 2000 + years ago certainly was not quiet. That new little tike may have been smiling sweetly for the wise men, but silent, I don’t think so. He was a reason for celebration. Surely, there was whooping and hollering and dancing and singing. Heck, the whole heavenly host would have made a tremendous racket! Peace was not quiet it was a glorious uproar.

No wonder Santa Claus came along so we could have Rudolph and Frosty and jingle our bells in a one horse open sleigh. We need some lightening up! This child that was born is God’s answer to the darkness. That’s all the Light we need. He’s waiting for us to go out and play, and bring the joy with us.

Who in the world would dance and sing and celebrate in times like these? Well us, of course. Joy does that. That’s the child in each of us. Can we all be THESE kids?

Photo by Charles Parker on Pexels.com