Shiny and Bright

 This is the time of year for lights and glitter.  Even as our days grow shorter. darker and colder, we celebrate by decorating our homes with sparkle and color, going to holiday parties and embracing all that is shiny and bright. But if we were to do some soul searching, are we really embracing the true Light of the world in the midst of all that holiday glitter?

It always amazes me how quickly people take down their holiday lights after Christmas.  I want to keep them up through all the dark days, until the warm, bright days of spring arrive. even though I always relent and finally take my tree down towards the end of January.

Maybe people turn off their holiday lights so soon after Christmas because it sadly has become a holiday of shiny lights, glitz and excessive spending that fizzles out quickly and leaves people feeling dissatisfied and let down once the big day is over. There is a famous expression: "all that glitters is not gold", meaning "the attractive external appearance of something is not a reliable indication of its true nature". The external appearance of all our holiday glam is not a true reflection of the Light of Christ, whose coming into the world we celebrate as "the reason for the season".

So, on this gray December morning, I will turn on my holiday twinkle, light a candle, and choose joy, reminding myself to be still, find the true light of the Spirit in my heart and give thanks for the greatest gift of all.