Let us be the light the light the world needs

I am sure for many Christmas seems far away, once Halloween was over, the shops were stocked with cards, gifts and lights and the trees went up. In many places it was all cleared away on Boxing Day, but not in many of our churches.

For us the season of Christmas and Epiphany comes to an end this weekend and while the tree has been down for some time the crib set will be put away and we too will finally leave Christmas behind as we move towards lent and Easter.

This Sunday we celebrate the presentation of Jesus in the temple, a young child brought to the temple for Jewish ritual yet met by Anna, the prophetess, and faithful Simeon. They both know the child before them is special, Simeon uses these words ‘For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.’

Simeon saw that in Jesus a new light had dawned upon the world. Into this new year can we be people who see the lights that are there, be positive as opposed to negative, see the good rather than just the bad?

In many of our churches candles will be lit tomorrow in the service of ‘Candlemas’. A candle is the symbol of the light of God shining in our lives. At the end of the service we extinguish our candles as a symbol that we become the light – then we will walk out into our community as lights to the world.

Let us all be that light in a world that so desperately needs it.