Love as Dawn Draws Near- Thursday, December 14th

WEEK TWO: LOVE AS DAWN DRAWS NEAR

The Glow of Moonlight

Matthew 5:16 (NRSV)

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. 

My spunky grandson Aidan is humorous and good natured. Not many things get him down, but when life isn’t going as well as he would like, or when people don’t treat him kindly, he begins singing, “Hello darkness my old friend…” We all find this cute and funny, but he does have a point. When life or people seem to be against us, we do feel as if darkness is our only companion. We feel alone and misunderstood. These are the times when a kind, warm-hearted friend is needed!

This week as we consider how we might share the glow of God’s love, the moon has much to teach us. During the dark of night, the moon’s soft glow lights our way without the heat of the midday sun. We know that the moon is not creating its own light but merely reflecting the sunlight. The moon is sharing the light of the sun, and will disappear from view if the sunlight is blocked from it.

When we brighten someone’s darkness with love, we are reflecting the light from Jesus, the Light of the world. We are not the light; we only reflect the light. We know our love would be nothing without the light of Christ. Our good works are meant for helping others and bringing God glory. With the light of Christ, we can be a soft and gentle reflection of light, a tender reminder of the love God has for us all.

God’s love glows when we reflect the light of Christ.