Follow the Light

With so many stories of near death experiences these days where it is reported that a person experiencing death is told "to follow the light" the idea of following light has been somewhat trivialized.

Today is Epiphany, the last day of the Christmas season, and the day traditionally marked as the time the wisemen from the East arrived to worship the baby Jesus with gifts. While we mark this day twelve days after Christmas biblical scholars say that it was probably a year, two or three after the birth that Jesus arrived.

I have always been fascinated with the star that guides these wisemen to Jesus. I love how this star which must have been so bright to grab their attention and cause them to follow it is a mere flickering candle to the brightness of the Light of the World who entered into human darkness. This small light of the star guides wisemen to the Light of the World. How amazing that the source and force of life in the universe cared enough to come to earth to reveal himself and then to subject himself to our arrogant ways as human beings. The light the wisemen followed led them to this Light of Love.

Today, we are called to follow the lesser lights to the Greatest Light. We are called to be lesser lights ourselves to guide people to the greatest of all Lights. Today, even still, the God who loved us enough to come and dwell in our neighborhood stands ready to change us, love us, and empower us.

O Star of wonder, star of night, Star with royal beauty bright, Westward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to thy Perfect Light.---Rev. John Henry Hopkins