WAITING FOR THE LIGHT

Rev. Paul Wrightman  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 12/24/21

I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND OUR SCRIPTURE LESSONS

JUST A BIT FURTHER WITH A SHORT READING

FROM THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW:

AFTER JESUS WAS BORN IN BETHLEHEM IN JUDEA,

DURING THE TIME OF KING HEROD,

MAGI FROM THE EAST CAME TO JERUSALEM AND ASKED,

“WHERE IS THE ONE WHO HAS BEEN BORN KING OF THE JEWS?”

WE SAW HIS STAR WHEN IT ROSE AND HAVE COME TO WORSHIP HIM.

(Matthew 2:1-2)

MATTHEW TELLS US THAT THE MAGI, OR WISE MEN,

SAW THE STAR “WHEN IT ROSE,”

AT THE​​ BEGINNING​​ OF THEIR JOURNEY.

HE DOES NOT MENTION IT AGAIN​​ 

UNTIL THEY SAW THE STAR ANOTHER TIME

AT THE​​ END​​ OF THEIR JOURNEY.

THE IMPLICATION IS THAT MUCH OF THEIR JOURNEY

WAS​​ WITHOUT​​ BENEFIT OF THE STAR.

THEY SAW THE STAR IN THE EAST,​​ 

SHINING WITH INCREDIBLE BRIGHTNESS OVER THEIR HOMELANDS,

AND THEY SAW IT AGAIN AS THEY LEFT THE PALACE OF HEROD.

BUT IN​​ BETWEEN, ENCOMPASSING THE VAST DISTANCE

FROM WHERE THEIR JOURNEY​​ BEGAN

TO THE FEW MILES THAT MARKED ITS​​ CONCLUSION,

I BELIEVE THEY WERE WITHOUT ITS BENEFIT MUCH OF THE WAY.

ISN’T THERE A​​ PARALLEL​​ IN THIS WITH​​ EACH​​ OF OUR LIVES?

WE HAVE OUR MOMENTS OF SEEING AND KNOWING,

WHEN THE STAR OF CLARITY AND CERTAINTY GOES BEFORE US –

AND THEN​​ NOTHING.

EVERYTHING SEEMS TO GO​​ BLANK;

SOMEBODY THROWS A HAT DOWN ON OUR JIGSAW PUZZLE,

AND IT’S BACK TO UNCERTAINTY AND CONFUSION.

ONE OF MY MAJOR MEMORIES AS A CHILD

COMES FROM WHEN I WAS ABOUT SEVEN YEARS OLD

AND ALLOWED TO GO BY MYSELF​​ 

TO MY FIRST, AND BASICALLY LAST, HORROR FILM,

A MOVIE CALLED​​ IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA.

IT WAS ABOUT A GIANT OCTOPUS

THAT WRAPPED ITS HUGE TENTACLES​​ 

AROUND SHIPS AND DREW THEM UNDER,

DEMOLISHED THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE,

AND FLATTENED PEOPLE ON THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO.

AFTER THE FILM I HAD TO WALK HOME BY MYSELF.

IT WAS ONE OF THE DARKEST,​​ 

MOST TERRIFYING NIGHTS I HAVE EVER KNOWN.

THE ONLY​​ COMFORT​​ ON THE WAY

WAS THE PRESENCE OF​​ STREETLIGHTS.

I FELT​​ SAFE​​ IN THE​​ LIGHT.

WHEN I GOT UNDER A STREETLIGHT,

I STROLLED AS IF I HAD ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD.

WHEN THE LIGHT WAS​​ OVERTAKEN BY THE DARKNESS,

I DASHED OFF LIKE A CHAMPIONSHIP SPRINTER

TO THE​​ NEXT​​ LIGHT.

AND I HAVE SOMETIMES THOUGHT​​ 

THAT ALL OF LIFE IS LIKE THAT,

MAKING OUR WAY FROM ONE LIGHT TO THE NEXT,

WITH DARKNESS MUCH OF THE REST OF THE WAY.

THAT IS WHAT THE WISE MEN DID.

THEY TRAVELED FROM ONE SIGHTING OF THE STAR TO THE ENXT.

THEY​​ DIDN’T​​ SEE IT​​ CONTINUOUSLY.

THEY HAD TO TRAVEL LONG DISTANCES​​ WITHOUT​​ IT.

WHAT CAN WE​​ LEARN​​ FROM THESE WISE MEN

AND THEIR ON-AGAIN, OFF-AGAIN STAR?

FIRST, WE LEARN THAT LIFE IS A​​ JOURNEY.

LIFE ISN’T​​ ROOTEDEDNESS, AND IT ISN’T​​ SETTLEDNESS.

IT IS A JOURNEY,​​ MOVEMENT,

GOING FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER.

THE MINUTE THAT WE THINK WE’VE GOT IT ALL SETTLED,

TIED UP, OR NAILED DOWN,​​ 

IT SPRINGS LOOSE ON US AND BEGINS TO UNRAVEL.

PERHAPS THIS IS WHY SO MANY OF THE GREATEST WRITERS

HAVE DEPICTED LIFE AS A​​ PILGRIMAGE,

A MOVEMENT FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER.

FROM HOMER TO DANTE AND CHAUCER,

FROM CERVANTES TO MICHNER,

IT IS THE SAME IN EVERY AGE:

LIFE IS A​​ JOURNEY,

A MOVEMENT OF MIND AND HEART AND BODY.

EVENTUALLY, IF WE FOLLOW OUR INNATE WISDOM –

THE PRESENCE OF GOD’S SPIRIT IN US –

WE SEE THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT STANCE IN LIFE,

THE MOST IMPORTANT WAY TO​​ BE, IS​​ OPENNESS.

IT IS REALIZING THAT LIFE IS A​​ GIFT,

AND THAT THOSE PERSONS​​ RECEIVE​​ MOST

WHO ARE MOST​​ OPEN​​ TO RECEIVE.

THIS IS THE WAY IT WAS WITH THE WISE MEN.

THEY FOLLOWED THE STAR THAT APPEARED IN THEIR SKY.

THEY WERE OPEN AND READY TO BE​​ LED.

THEY KNEW THAT LIFE IS AN​​ ADVENTURE,

AND THOSE SEE MOST WHO ARE MOST READY TO​​ FOLLOW.

THE​​ SECOND​​ THING THAT WE LEARN FROM THE WISE MEN

IS THAT​​ FAITH​​ – FAITH AS​​ TRUST​​ –

IS OUR FALLBACK POSITION IN TIMES OF DARKNESS.

FAITH IS FOR THE TIMES ON THE JOURNEY

WHEN WE CAN’T​​ SEE​​ THE STAR.

CONTRARY TO THE PICTURES ON OUR CHRISTMAS CARDS,

THE WISE MEN TRAVELED LONG DISTANCES ON THEIR JOURNEY

IN THE​​ DARK,​​ WITHOUT​​ BENEFIT OF THE GLORIOUS STAR.

THE STAR GOT THEM​​ STARTED​​ ON THEIR JOURNEY,

AND IT RETURNED WHEN THEIR JOURNEY WAS AT ITS​​ CLIMAX,

BUT​​ IN-BETWEEN, OVER THE MILES AND MILES

OF BARREN AND EVEN HOSTILE COUNTRYSIDE,

ALTHOUGH THEY MAY HAVE GOTTEN​​ 

OCCASIONAL GLIMPSES OF THE STAR,

FOR THE MOST PART IT​​ APPEARED, ONLY TO​​ LEAVE​​ THEM.

IT​​ WAS​​ THERE ALL THE TIME, OF COURSE,

BUT THEY COULD NOT​​ SEE​​ IT.

THEY HAD TO JOURNEY ONWARD

IN THE DIRECTION IT HAD GIVEN THEM,

BUT​​ WITHOUT​​ ITS​​ IMMEDIATE​​ AID.

THIS TOO IS TRUE OF​​ OUR​​ LIVES, ISN’T IT?

WE SPEND A LOT OF OUR JOURNEYS IN THE DARK.

WE SEE THE STAR SHINING OVER A CERTAIN COLLEGE,

AND WE GO THERE, NOT KNOWING WHAT LIES AHEAD OF US.

WE SEE THE STAR SHINING OVER A CERTAIN PERSON,

AND WE MARRY THEM,​​ TRUSTING​​ OUR FUTURE WITH THEM.

WE SEE IT SHINING AGAIN OVER A CAREER OR A PROFESSION,

AND WE GO IN THAT DIRECTION,

NOT KNOWING ANY MORE THAN THAT.

AGAIN AND AGAIN IN LIFE,

WE HAVE A MOMENT OF GREAT​​ LUMINOSITY,

WHEN EVERYTHING BECOMES​​ CLEAR,

AND WE FEEL​​ AFFIRMED​​ IN OUR CHOICES.

BUT THEN THE LIGHT GIVES WAY TO GREAT STRETCHES OF​​ DARKNESS,

WHEN WE MUST WALK​​ ALONE,​​ 

WITH ONLY THE​​ MEMORY​​ OF THE LIGHT TO GUIDE US.

WHEN THE NIGHT TURNS BLACK,

WE MUST LEARN TO WALK BY​​ FAITH,

TRUSTING​​ THAT THE STAR STILL SHINES​​ IN​​ SPITE​​ OF

OUR NOT BEING ABLE TO​​ SEE​​ IT.

I SHALL NEVER FORGET A VISIT I HAD ONCE

IN THE HOSPITAL WITH A GOOD FRIEND WHO WAS A NUN.

SHE WAS ELDERLY AND HAD PNEUMONIA,

BUT THAT WAS NOT THE WORST THING.

THE WORST THING, SHE SAID,

WAS THAT IN HER ILLNESS

SHE FOUND HERSELF UNABLE TO​​ PRAY.

“BUT THAT IS ALL RIGHT,” SHE SAID.

“I HAVE PRAYED​​ BEFORE, AND I SHALL PRAY​​ AGAIN.

RIGHT NOW, I MUST LEARN TO​​ WAIT.”

AND SO WE ALL LEARN TO WAIT WHEN THE STAR IS NOT SHINING.

WE​​ HAVE​​ SEEN IT BEFORE; WE​​ SHALL​​ SEE IT​​ AGAIN.

BUT IN THE​​ INTERIM, THERE IS NOTHING TO DO​​ 

BUT TO KEEP ON KEEPING ON OUR JOURNEY

WHETHER THE STAR IS VISIBLE OR NOT.

A FRIEND OF MINE DESCRIBED THE DEATH OF HIS FATHER

AFTER A LONG AND DEBILITATING ILLNESS.

HE HAD BEEN THROUGH NUMEROUS SURGERIES

AND IN THE FINAL WEEKS MOST OF HIS BODY HAD WASTED AWAY.

AT THE END HE ENTERED A SEMI-COMA,

EMERGING ONLY OCCASIONALLY

TO GREET A RELATIVE OR FRIEND WAITING FOR HIM IN THE ROOM.

AND HE WAS THERE, MY FRIEND WAS THERE,

WHEN ON ONE OF THESE OCCASIONS THE FATHER CAME AROUND,

REACHED FOR HIS HAND, AND ANNOUNCED,

“I SEE MY SAVIOR. ​​ HE HAS BEEN THERE ALL THE TIME.”

HE​​ HAS​​ BEEN​​ THERE​​ ALL​​ THE​​ TIME.

MY OWN FAVORITE TITLE FOR JESUS IS EMMANUEL,

WHICH IS HEBREW FOR “GOD-WITH-US.”

I RESONATE WITH THIS TITLE BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT,

WHETHER OR NOT I CAN​​ FEEL​​ HIS PRESENCE,

WHETHER OR NOT I HAVE HAD SOME DRAMATIC​​ 

EXPERIENCE​​ OF GOD,

WHETHER OR NOT I​​ KNOW​​ ALL​​ THE RIGHT THINGS​​ ABOUT​​ GOD,

GOD HAS BEEN THERE ALL THE TIME --

LIKE THE STAR WHICH THE WISE MEN SAW ONLY SPORADICALLY,

BUT WHICH THEY KNEW WAS ALWAYS THERE,

AND WHICH TURNED THEIR​​ JOURNEY​​ INTO AN ADVENTURE.

KNOWING THAT GOD IN THE PERSON​​ OF JESUS IS ALWAYS THERE –

ALWAYS KIND,

ALWAYS COMPASSIONATE,

ALWAYS FORGIVING,

ALWAYS LOVING,

ALWAYS EMMANUEL, GOD-WITH-US,

MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.

KNOWING GOD IS THERE,

WE CAN ENDURE OUR SEASONS OF DARKNESS

AND OUR TIMES OF PAIN.

KNOWING GOD IS THERE,

WE CAN MAKE IT THROUGH ANY HARDSHIP.

IN​​ A BOOK OF CHRISTMAS MIRACLES,​​ MICHAEL GINGERICH WRITES:

“EVERY YEAR, AS SOON AS HALLOWEEN IS OVER,

OUR SON MATTHEW WAITS FOR THE LIGHTS.

HE’S BEEN DOING IT FOR MORE THAN A DOZEN YEARS.

AS THE DAYS GROW SHORTER AND THE NIGHTS LONGER,

AS THE TEMPERATURES DROP AND THE LEAVES FALL,

HE WAITS FOR THE LIGHTS.

HE KNOWS THAT THEY WILL COME.

THE NEIGHBORS ACROSS THE STREET ALWAYS PUT UP​​ A BEAUTIFUL,

BRILLIANT, AND TASTEFUL LIGHT DISPLAY​​ FOR THE HOLIDAYS

AND MATTHEW LOVES TO WAIT FOR THEM TO BE TURNED ON,

WHICH USUALLY HAPPENS RIGHT AFTER THANKSGIVING.

BUT HE BEGINS HIS VIGIL A MONTH BEFORE THEIR ARRIVAL.

AND THEN, EACH DAY BETWEEN THANKSGIVING

AND UNTIL THE LIGHTS ARE TURNED OFF AFTER THE NEW YEAR,

HE WAITS, EXCITEDLY, FROM MID-AFTERNOON ON.

EACH DAY HE’LL STAND BY THE FRONT WINDOWS​​ 

OR WALK BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE WINDOWS

AND THE FRONT DOOR,

IN ENERGETIC AND COILED ANTICIPATION, LASER-FOCUSED,

UNDETERRED, INTENT ON THE MOMENT​​ 

OF THEIR NIGHTLY ILLUMINATION.

AND WHEN EACH EVENING’S MOMENT COMES,

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE RIGHT WITH HIM

WHEN THAT MOMENT OCCURS.

YOU KNOW IT NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE IN THE HOUSE.

THE EFFERVESCENT SQUEALING.

THE RHYTHMIC CLAPPING.

THE DANCING AROUND THE HOUSE,

THE STEPS STACCATO, LOUD, REPEATED.

IT’S PURE JOY, PURE DELIGHT ON HIS FACE!

AND IT HAPPENS EVERY SINGLE NIGHT.

HE WAITS FOR THE LIGHTS.

DURING THE DARKEST DAYS OF THE YEAR.

HE STANDS AND HE WAITS.

TRANSFIXED BY THOSE LIGHTS BRIGHTENING THE DIM, WINTER SKY.

FOR ALL HIS LIMITATIONS, IN THE WORLD’S VIEW –

HIS SEVERE MENTAL DISABILITIES, HIS AUTISM,​​ 

HIS TWO-YEAR-OLD MIND IN A TWENTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD BODY,

HIS INABILITY TO SPEAK –

MATTHEW KNOWS SOMETHING VERY PROFOUND,

THAT LIGHT​​ WILL​​ SHINE IN THE DARKNESS,

THAT NO MATTER HOW​​ DARK,​​ 

HOW​​ LONG​​ THE WAIT,

EVENTUALLY, AND​​ WITHOUT​​ FAIL,

THOSE LIGHTS​​ WILL​​ SHINE AGAIN.

NO MATTER HOW MANY SEASONS OF THE YEAR​​ WITHOUT​​ THEM,

THERE WILL COME A SEASON​​ 

WHEN​​ THOSE LIGHTS WILL SHINE AGAIN.

LIFE BRINGS ITS OWN SEASONS OF DARKNESS.

DESPERATE, AT TIMES.

LONELY.

PAINFUL.

FULL OF FEAR.

BUT DESPITE THOSE SEASONS,​​ 

A NEW SEASON CAN COME AND THE LIGHT CAN BE SEEN AGAIN.

WHATEVER DARKNESS I FIND WITHIN AND AROUND ME,

I LOOK TO MY SON,

AND REMEMBER THAT LIGHT CAN PIERCE THE DARKNESS

AND CAN BEGIN TO BRING BEAUTY AND JOY AGAIN.

IN THAT I FIND MY HOPE AND MY HAPPINESS.”  ​​​​ AMEN.

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