Illumination – I’m a fan. I like all forms of illumination: sunlight, daylight, electric light, candlelight. The best and brightest illumination, however, is the Light of Christ. There’s an old hymn that describes this divine light:
Walking in sunlight all of my journey over the mountains, through the deep vale. Jesus has said, I’ll never forsake thee. Promise divine that never can fail. Heavenly sunlight, Heavenly sunlight flooding my soul with glory divine. Hallelujah, I am rejoicing, singing His praises, Jesus is mine.
Like so many OKC residents, I fell victim to an extended power outage caused by the unseasonal ice storm that slammed the Metro and surrounding areas. While activities are limited without electricity, some functionality is possible during daylight. However, when night falls, we are left in the dark. One dark evening at home, I decided to light a few candles. Candles are the not the brightest form of light, but the soft glow they emitted allowed a sense of peace to settle over me. It caused me to reflect on our Christmas Eve services.
If you have experienced Christmas Eve at St. Luke’s, you have certainly been moved by the illumination of some 1,200 candles being lit during the singing of Silent Night. This powerful moment in the service is breathtaking. My view from the choir loft is amazing. As I begin the carol from the organ in complete darkness, the gradual lighting of candles becomes a sensational demonstration of darkness into Light.
There is no question that 2020 has seen its share of intense darkness. So many of our brothers and sisters are trying to find their way in all the darkness. We have been given an incredible gift, the gift of Christ’s Light to shine and help those who need their path illuminated. Join me in prayer that this Christmas Season and 2021 finds us walking in sunlight all of our journey.
Robert Fasol, Organist and Choirmaster
