Bringing Light into the New Year by Michael Valliant
I would leave my Christmas tree up through March if it wouldn’t be a crunchy fire hazard by then. There is something about the lights and shine of a tree that seems more important for the dark months of January and February than it does for the over-busy build-up to Christmas. Now is when we need the light. So, how do we create and share light in the darkest months? If I ever get a fake Christmas tree, my first decree will be that it doesn’t come down until spring. But besides keeping on the actual lights, there are other ways to emulate Motel Six’s Tom Bodett and leave the light on. In a recent sermon looking at the prologue to John’s Gospel, Fr. Bill Ortt linked three words: light, life, and love, which are connected in the illumination of our hearts, minds and souls. We can find light from others. When it comes to reading, not even time and space can limit us. “Man reading should be man intensely alive. The book should be a ball of light in one’s hand,” wrote poet Ezra Pound. And maybe he was on to something for the winter months: make time to read. It gets dark early, it’s cold. Use the time to
be transported. Read the books that light up your heart and soul; books that make you come alive. Some books can even give us a roadmap through the dark. The Greatest Salesman in the World is an odd little book by Og Mandino. He tells the story of a poor camel boy who comes to live a life of abundance. He uncovers scrolls in a cave that contain keys
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