History and Light
History and light remind us of our need for the Savior.
Three nights ago, as I drove home, I made a quick decision to park my vehicle and dash for the riverbank. I hoped to capture the amazing nuances of light displayed by the setting sun in the sky above, and mirrored on the tranquil waters of the James River below, in lovely Scottsville, Virginia. This photo and video were the result.
Early yesterday morning I also commented to Sunny, who adores our family Christmas tree, how amazed I was by light, even when it is created by something as ‘simple’ as the tiny light bulbs strung on our tree.
As incredible and beautiful as light can be, long ago, an ancient prophet used it to help us understand the magnitude of a momentous and magnificent moment in history. He stated in Isaiah 9:2 “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light, on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Let’s take a moment to try to put this in perspective, by also looking at two historic events from this past week.
Wednesday morning, I remarked to my children that older generations remember December 7th, as Pearl Harbor Day, recalling how the United States base at Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941, by the empire of Japan, and drew America into World War ll, the costliest war in history. And that younger generations will remember December 8th, 2020, as the day a vaccine began to be given to the public to combat the Covid -19 pandemic.
On Wednesday morning December 8th, at 1:31 am EST, Margaret Keenan, who turns 91 this week, became the first person in the world to be given the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine outside of a trial. She said the ‘jab,’ as the British call it, was the "best early birthday present.”
The good news for those of us living ‘across the pond’ is that with the OK from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this past Friday, trucks will begin to roll out this morning to deliver the vaccine across the US. The first recipients will receive it early this week. As incredible, wonderful, and game-changing as this development is, it also provides a ‘redemptive analogy,’ reminding us again of the eternal significance of what we will soon celebrate on December 25th.
At times we think of Christmas as a day focused on giving, (usually) a time for families to gather, or the kindness of a man dressed in a red suit who utilizes an unusual form of transportation. However, let us be careful not to miss what Christmas really is.
More significant than the costliest war in history, or even the release of a game changing vaccine, the birth of the Savior of humanity, his amazing love for us, and his death, burial, and resurrection, provided every man, woman, or child, the basis for the forgiveness of sins.
A message just as incredible and necessary in the difficult days of 2020, as it was when the angel first said to shepherds long ago, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the City of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Dear brother or sister in Christ, or friend along life’s journey, as we start a new week, mindful both of its opportunities and challenges, let us take a moment to smile, as many did across the UK last week, as they watched history unfold. It is now our turn in the US, as the vaccine will begin the earliest phase of distribution.
However, let us also be mindful of an even more monumental moment in history, and be ready to celebrate it again, in just 12 days, as we joyfully recall that the Savior of the world has indeed come. And let us smile as we recognize that history and light remind us of our need for the Savior.