The Light

St. John’s Gospel, in the first chapter, tells us that “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” The days leading to Christmas and the time after are days to treasure as each day begins to be a little longer and night a little shorter. One of the special happenings this year is the

“Christmas Star.” Astronomically it is the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn which creates a bright light in the sky. It doesn’t happen very often. I believe I read it last occurred in the Middle Ages. I was able to see it from my bedroom deck through the bare branches of a tree. I wanted to see it more clearly so I climbed in the car and intended to drive out of town away from the light pollution. As I came around the corner just three blocks from my home there it was in the sky shining brightly. I didn’t need to go any further. As a symbol of that light about which St. John speaks, we use candles in church. I wrote last week about being an Advent purist. I am also a candle junkie. My home is filled

with candles. There is a Swedish wrought iron and glass chandelier above the dining room table. I remember buying it Uppsala and then hauling it home. I learned to think twice about listening to the salesperson’s story about it being an easy thing to carry. It wasn’t but I made it. I don’t think it would have passed security clearance in this day and age. There is another Swedish chandelier in the living room. I had this one shipped along with the wall sconces. I did learn my lesson. There are a half dozen Swedish glass candle holders on the mantle. Three are shaped like snow balls and three are squares. They are heavy. I accidentally knocked one off the mantel one time and it fell to the floor. I thought surely the thing would shatter into a million pieces. Instead it took a chunk out of the ceramic tile upon which it fell. Nary a scratch is seen on the glass object. I call that durable. Tonight I will light three seven day candles in the living room window so the Magi can find their way

to the manger. I also light other candles because I enjoy their glow. I’ve never really stopped to assess the candle budget for this household. The candles are a source of pleasure, a symbol of hope, a reminder of the light shining in the darkness. I’ve practiced quite a bit this week. I think the Christmas Eve service went well. Tomorrow there will be a service of Lessons and Carols. Well, not really. It will be a Eucharist with a lot of carols interjected. The Cathedral’s version of the same will be live-streamed only. It is entirely prerecorded. I recorded my solo last Sunday. There will be an interesting “conjunction” tomorrow as I play for one Church service and am singing a solo in another church service at the same time! How many of us even knew what “live-stream” was at this time last year? One of the mottos of the state of

South Dakota is “The Land of Infinite Variety.” It refers to the vast differences between the mountains in the west, the plains, the badlands, the lake country, the farm country. We often use it to refer to the weather. On Tuesday we had a high of 55º. On Wednesday we had a blizzard and a low of -2º. If you don’t like the weather, wait a few minutes and something different is apt to show up. The last two days have been nice enough to take my usual walks. If I put on enough clothing the walk is pleasant and the sunshine recharges my batteries. Whatever Google has done to Blogger it hasn’t been an improvement in my thought. It used to be easy to insert a picture and add a caption. I can insert a picture but adding a caption one cannot do. The thing also destroys all indications of a new paragraph. No matter the software I use to compose the blog, when it is inserted into Blogger it becomes one long run-on paragraph. I’ve even typed directly into Blogger and the same thing happens. I don’t know what caused it to become “anti-paragraph.” I guess it’s something that require acceptance by us. I had my scans on Thursday morning. I haven’t seen a report yet, but I will see the oncologist on Monday and he will reveal all. So, I’ll

let you know about those items next week. Happy Boxing Day! Stay well and safe and warm. Thanks for your prayers and thoughts and greetings. A good friend brought me a lovely Yuletide arrangement which brightens my table and reminds me of all my kind friends. It used to be a thrill to have lots of presents to open. Now, acts of kindness are more important than any gift. Be kind to all you meet. After church yesterday, a venerable aged lady of the congregation visited with me. She said that her life had not been easy. She has been amazed of late at the kindness of persons she doesn’t even know. She had stopped for fuel for her car on a bitterly cold day. A gentleman approached her and told her to stay in her car and he would handle the refill operation. When completed he told her he had paid for her gasoline. She continued, “I went to the grocery store and when I was ready to check out the person ahead of me paid for my groceries. I can’t believe how kind people are.” Random acts of kindness are truly blessings. Remember that the “light that has come into the world” did so in a borrowed place.