The Christian community shines with the light of Christ.
You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.
“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”
Isaiah 60:1 English Standard Version
How many children were born the day Jesus took his first breath of air? There are no statistics to suggest how many, but chances are he wasn’t alone. There were other parents who received a child that same day. Other moms felt the fear and anxiety, the pain and struggle that Mary felt.
But on this day, a single child was born as a result of a promise.
God gave this promise in the Garden of Eden when he pledged that the woman’s seed would crush the head of the serpent. God gave this promise to King David when hes said that a descendant would sit on his throne for eternity. God gave this promise through the prophet Isaiah when he stated that a virgin would conceive and bear a son.
The call to arise comes as a result of the single light, Jesus Christ, who has come into the world. The light with which we shine is not ours. It is his light.
Many people in our communities have chosen to dress their homes with lights. Each light is important to the dazzling displays that makes us pause. The same is true for the church.
For the church to dazzle the world, each light needs to shine. Yet each light finds as its single power source the love of God who sent his Son to shine in our world. And it is his light that brings joy.
Copyright Douglas P Brauner
