Reflections

Christmas is bright. It's full of lights and candles, sparkling ornaments, foil paper, tinsel halos and shimmering angel wings. The symbols we use in our homes are often representative of the light of Christ coming into the world.

I was working with my Sunday school class to hang the greens at the beginning of the month, and I noticed that the newly lighted tree reflected in the monitor hung on the back wall. Reflections of light.

I was in the sanctuary yesterday, taking some pictures. I noticed today as I went through them, that the stained glass windows across the room were reflected in the glass hurricane globe on the candle in the window (I'm not sure if you can see that, but if you click on the image, it will get larger). Reflections of light.

We are reflections of light in the world.

One of the lectionary readings for this week includes this verse:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

Immanuel. It comes from two Hebrew words -- immanu, which means "with us" and el, which means "God." Jesus is Immanuel -- God with us. The devotional that I read this morning calls that (and I'm paraphrasing) the summary of what it is all about. God is with us.

So the light that we are called the reflect is God's light. We reflect God with us. When people are examining their lives, just like I was going through my images this morning, they should see God's reflection, through our actions, through our words, through our silences.

Reflections of God with us. Colored like stained glass. Lights like those on a Christmas tree. Bringing hope, love and grace to a dark, wintering world.

Where is the reflection?