The True Light of the World

by Barbara Iliff

Today's guest post is by Barbara Iliff, a fellow writer and Word Weavers International member. Get your hot chocolate and enjoy memories and the meaning of Christmas lights.

I love lights. 
Since I was a little girl the brilliance of Christmas has been one of my favorite

Favorite parts of the holidays are hot chocolate
by the Christmas tree.

parts of the Holidays. My parents wove strings of colorful bulbs into the branches as my anticipation grew until finally the magic moment arrived. With our tree proudly dressed in the colors of Christmas, my parents plugged the lights in. My eyes shined and I crossed them just to have double lights!

My love for lights has not dimmed over the years. I took my own children riding around to see the shining glow on houses, light displays and even a snowflake street of white twinkling lights overhead. I sit in my living room near my Christmas tree and savor hot apple cider or hot chocolate while my soul feasts on the sparkle of Christmas.

But my favorite lights of all come alive just before Christmas at our church’s Candlelight Communion. 


Holy Communion and Flickering Flames

We gather as a church family, receive a candle, hear a message, and take Holy Communion. Our pastor talks about the value of our light in this world. The sanctuary dims until we are almost in the dark. I hold my candle along with thousands of others as our pastor lights his and passes the flame from that one flicker to a group of ushers who also pass on the light to the congregation. One row at a time the auditorium is surrounded with a golden glow. I watch till the shared flame reaches our pew and my eyes reflect the shimmer as the light is passed to me. My taper sparks to life, casting its aura around me. I smile and pass the gift on savoring the moment while I look at my one miniature torch joining the light of all the others glowing warmly around me.

The true light of the world is Jesus.

When the last candle is burning, the pastor talks about how powerful our lives are when combined to bring light to this dark world. Together we all hold our candles high and the room comes alive with miniature blazes. That moment is the pinnacle of the service to me. It’s a time of sacred evaluation as I search my soul. Did I go through the motions of just another year or did my life reflect the love of our Savior to those around me? Do people know that I serve the Lord Jesus Christ with my life?

Matthew 5:16, Let you light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. NASB

Healing Light

 In the recent past I was a broken hearted with only the flicker of a flame. I was a talker of Christianity, but not a walker in love because I was too broken inside to give out much love. Our merciful Shepherd is the healer of our souls. I asked Him to shine His healing light of love into my heart and over time He cauterized the wounds so beautifully that although I can remember the hurts of my past, they no longer cause me pain. I just remember the salve of His healing love applied to my heart. Now I love from a healed heart that is overflowing with His love for others.

Psalm 147:3, He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

I pray that your Christmas is a joyful one, but realistically there will be many people who read this who are lonely, have lost a loved one, suffered disappointment, or have broken hearts from divorce like I did. Whatever hurt you may carry this Christmas, He is able to shine His loving light into your heart, heal it and cause a flame of love to blaze for His glory.

Let your light shine before men.

Dear reader, if your candle is glowing I encourage you to let it shine into the world around you. Find someone whose candle is only a flicker and love it to life again. Offer the love of Jesus, the healer of our soul, the original flame and true Light of the World.

Share your thoughts about how the Light of the world affects your life.

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The true Light of the world (click to tweet)

Barbara Iliff is a Georgia Peach whose passion is to help people quench the thirst in their soul with the love and knowledge of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. When Barbara was a girl she visited her grandparents farm and helped pull up buckets of cool water on hot summer days...the vivid memory of the long handled dipper with life-giving water gives her ministry its name,  Quenched.