Excerpt from 1 John 1:1-9 (CEB)  

"God is light and there is no darkness in God at all."

Reflection by William C. Green

C.S. Lewis said a great obstacle to loving God is summed up in one word: encore. Instead of being satisfied with what God always offers us, we are greedy for the next performance.

So it can be after Christmas or any special occasion that lifted our spirits. As at a concert when the orchestra performed magnificently  and we clap for an encore, so in the rest of life. When something is good, we want more. This becomes greed when it keeps us from appreciating that, when the music is over, "this also is God," as Lewis put it. The divine flashes on special occasions, but it shines on any occasion.

This awareness is missing when, for example, we fret about how little time the family will be together before sons, daughters, or grandchildren go back home again. Gladness wavers in anticipation of a returning sense of loss. How can we enjoy the moment when already we want more? Can we leave the "more" to God and find satisfaction in the "enough" always offered us?

The message of Christmas is that God shines in the darkness too, as brightly as the star that guided the magi to the manger. The glory of God makes any occasion special, and certainly enough—even when all seems dark, and we’re alone. We don't need encores.

Prayer

Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of the night; for the love of thy only Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. (Anglican prayer)

About the Author William C. Green is Vice-President for Strategy and Development, Moral Courage Project, NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, and the author of 52 Ways to Ignite Your Congregation: Generous Giving.

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