Tip of My Iceberg

When I was younger, I’d be mesmerized by fireworks on any holiday that would choose to use them. Independence Day was a win, but other times, I could watch the colorful lights in the sky, like a magic kaleidoscope. It was always an awe and wonder-filled experience.

I recently had the joy of going to Disney World with some dear friends to see the fireworks display, a phenomenon I’d never witnessed. The crowds began accumulating an hour and a half early, which made me wonder what the excitement was all about. I mean, fireworks? They’re great, but people were jockeying for position early.

I found out why.

I’ve never seen such a magnificent display of light, sound, and story as clips from Disney films were splayed across Cinderella’s castle while lights bloomed repeatedly around the towers.

People were videotaping the show, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off the colors bursting before me. Light is such an incredible thing, and when it’s filled with color and motion, it becomes magical.

I have a special appreciation for light. Ever since I was little, I’ve been somewhat afraid of the dark. My imagination gets carried away, and I not only imagine someone trying to break in, but I also imagine evil beings undermining my calm and peace. The monsters in my closet during childhood have evolved a bit–but not much. It’s why I choose not to watch scary movies or read books about pure evil. The ideas stick with me, and my imagination uses those thoughts to terrify me even more.

The conflict between light and darkness has been a theme that’s as old as time itself. The serpent tempted Eve in the garden to disobey God, and she chose her desires over her relationship with God. Because Jesus wouldn’t adapt to what the religious leaders thought the Messiah should be, they had him executed by Rome on trumped up charges. All you have to do is listen to the news to hear of someone considered dishonorable hurting an innocent person for no reason. Even the broadway musical “Wicked” is light versus darkness.

God created light for us before He created anything else. “Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then He separated the light from the darkness.” Genesis 1:3-4.

Man, however, continued to grow in darkness. “The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and He saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry He had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke His heart.” Genesis 6:5-6.

Leaving us to our own devices saw us spiraling deeper into selfishness and arrogance. Not wanting to leave us to our own destruction, He offered a way for us to be redeemed,

“Everything was created through Him (Jesus); nothing-not one thing!-came into being without Him. What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out.” John 1:3-5.

Jesus was the Light that came into the world to show us the way to heaven, to provide forgiveness for all our mistakes, and to prove what real love is.

Fireworks are spectacular, but they fizzle out and become only a memory too quickly. The light Jesus provides is eternal–once you have it, you can’t lose it, use it up, or have it taken from you.

It’s the permanent light that leads us home.