Take away our modern conveniences—cell phones, Kindles, TVs, computers—and we’re all peasants, just like the three wise men. Strip away the pseudo-sophistication born of studying the classics and tacking capitalized initials behind our names, and we’re still kids at heart, enjoying sugarplum dreams as we wait for Santa.
Been a long time since we’ve allowed ourselves to feel that way, hasn’t it? So maybe what we need this holiday season is to drop all the pretenses and “I’m too busy for such nonsense” excuses and just go outside. After dark. Never mind the smog or the smoky streaks of jetliners. Ignore the strobes of emergency vehicles. Tune out sirens and blaring horns and the hiss of tires over concrete. Forget about that stack of unpaid bills. Don’t worry about the dishes in the sink and that load of towels in the washing machine.
Just go, look up and search the sky for the bright shining star that announced the good news of Jesus’ birth. The shekinah…the heavenly light that once lit the skies above Bethlehem. We can still see it…with eyes of childlike faith….
As Pascal once said, there are only three kinds of people in the world: those who sought God and found Him, those still seeking, and those who won’t find Him because they aren’t looking. How different things would have been if, on that holy night so long ago, when the angels called those ordinary shepherds from their fields, they had waited until the dishes were done and the towels were folded before they went! Thankfully, they answered the angels’ call. They didn’t bathe or change their garments or pack gifts, as the wise men did. Once there, they stood staring in silent awe at that bright light.
Remember what Kierkegaard said: “If I could prescribe only one remedy for all the ills of the modern world, I would prescribe silence. For even if the Word of God were proclaimed, no one would hear it; there is too much noise. Therefore, create silence.”
My Christmas prayer for you is Time and Silence…time to stare into the night sky, ever aware that in the silence of darkness, a heavenly light glows.
About Loree Lough: With 80+ books (more than 3,000,000 in circulation), best-selling author Loree Lough’s titles have earned numerous 4- and 5-star reviews and dozens of industry awards. Known as “a gifted writer whose stories touch hearts and change lives,” she splits her time between a humble home near Baltimore and a tiny cabin in the Alleghenies, where she continues to hone her knack for identifying critter tracks. Next to hit bookstore shelves: Honor Redeemed, Love Finds You in Folly Beach, South Carolina, A Man of Honor, For Love of Eli, and His Grace is Sufficient…but Decaf is Not (devotional with Sandie Bricker, Trish Perry, and Cynthia Ruchti). Learn more @ http://www.loreelough.com. (Loree answers every reader letter personally, so feel free to drop her a line!)
