A God Moment
We had a simple, yet profound, God moment in the Lighthouse worship service yesterday. Hayes Barton member Carol Hagy, accompanied by her daughter Holly and granddaughter Charlotte, was scheduled to light the first Advent candle on our Advent wreath. The Advent wreath, which originated in home use in Europe after the Reformation, is a wreath on which four candles are placed which represent the four weeks of waiting during Advent. The evergreens that encircle the candles on the wreath symbolize everlasting life and the candles represent the light that Christ’s birth brings to a world that can be cold and harsh. In the Northern Hemisphere, Advent comes when the days are shortest, and in ancient times lighting candles symbolized hope for the return of sunlight. As we light each candle, we remember that God’s Light entered the world through Jesus Christ and that Jesus will come again one day to usher in the Kingdom of God in all its fullness. What a great day that will be!
Before the service began, Gerald Baugh, long-time Hayes Barton and Starnes Sunday School Class member, approached Carol to ask her if she was going to light the candle. When she answered that she was going to do just that, Gerald responded, “God bless you.” When Gerald turned to go back to his seat, Carol began to ponder their encounter. She began to consider asking Gerald to help her light the candle. She approached me, and of course, I thought it was a great idea. But would Gerald want to help? We both went over to ask him, and when Carol proposed the idea, he sat up a little straighter in his chair and his whole face lit up. He certainly did want to help, so he moved to sit next to Carol. At the appropriate time, Gerald climbed the steps of the Lighthouse stage and participated in lighting the first Advent candle of 2016 as a full-fledged member of Carol’s family…as a treasured member of God’s family. It was a beautiful sight to behold.
Through the gift of God’s grace, Carol is able to see Gerald as part of her family and was capable of thinking to include him…a developmentally disabled person who is not always embraced in this world…in our ritual. In some ways, her invitation was a small gesture. In others, it was a potentially life-changing moment for all who attended the service and possibly for some who will read this article. You see, as we wait and watch during this Advent season, our highest priority is to be about the things that will help bring God’s light into the darkness. In order to know what those actions look like, we need look no farther than Jesus himself. In human form, he modeled for us what love looks like. Love sees people that usually go unnoticed or draw derision when seen. Love reaches out in radical hospitality to invite “outsiders” to God’s table where all are welcome. Love lifts people to places of healing, joy and possibility that they may never have experienced before. Love speaks “you are one of us. You are a beloved child of God.”
Carol poured God’s love all over Gerald, and those of us who witnessed her gesture, well, we will never be the same. Carol was paying attention. Gerald was right in front of her, and she stepped out to put love into action. She created a physical representation of what the Kingdom of God looks like. Who is right in front of us? Who do we cross paths with that needs to be lifted? Who in our community needs to be loved today? Whose suffering could be alieved by our kindness?
My hunch is that we already know in our hearts the answer to at least one of the above questions. Don’t put it off. Get out there and make the world a little brighter today. As Carol shared with me about her experience, you will receive a gift from God that will change your life.
Blessings and love, LuAnn
