No matter where you turn in December, twinkling lights are everywhere. Adorning storefronts to lure shoppers in. Hung in the windows and lobbies of restaurants and office buildings to create a festive feel. Trimming houses and spilling into yards as neighbors strive to be the best lit house on the street. Even creatively programmed light shows turn on and off to Christmas music blasting from a pre-set radio station in your car as you drive by.
Not surprisingly then, electricity consumption increases dramatically during the holiday season. In the U.S. alone, that increased power could run 14 million refrigerators, more than the annual electric use of entire developing countries like El Salvador and Ethiopia. NASA has reported sections of the Earth shining up to 50% brighter between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Setting aside environmental impact for the moment, we clearly like to light things up during the holidays.
Why are we so obsessed with lights this time of year? Despite today’s commercial focus, the glow of holiday lights actually originated in the spiritual world.
The twinkling lights (originally real candles!) on Christmas trees represent the Christian view of Jesus as the “light of the world.” Menorah candelabras symbolize light shining out of darkness in the Jewish faith. Kwanzaa celebrations use a similar seven-branched candleholder called a Kinara for the seven fundamental values of African culture, emphasizing unity and the collective good. Twelfth century pagans even lit Yule logs that promised the return of the sun after a long winter.
In cultures around the world, light has long represented values like knowledge, wisdom and goodness. Lights help lift people’s spirits in their darkest moments. Lighting a simple candle at the end of a hard day or season provides a sense of peace at any time of year.
But what if these same good feelings came from a person instead of a candle or electric string of lights?
Think about the people who have helped you along the way. Maybe your mother or father worked overtime to make sure you had the band uniform you needed in high school or the tuition that put you through college. Or your grandfather took you fishing during the summer – only it was more about the wisdom he dropped than the fish you caught. Perhaps a coach or mentor showed you how to grow in ways you never could’ve done on your own. Or a stranger offered a kind word when you felt defeated or helped you carry a heavy load to your car.
These people light the runway of your life. They shine on you when your own light has dimmed, until you find your spark again. They provide the energy and motivation you need to keep you moving forward. Even in the smallest of ways, how can you be that light for someone else?
We walk the Earth with over eight billion other humans. We only know the tiniest fraction of them directly but are infinitely interconnected to so many more. Just like a string of lights that goes completely dark when just one bulb misfires, your words and actions affect the next person, who affects the next person, who affects the next person. What you do matters. What you say matters.
As the saying goes, we each have a light. Our adventure is finding which paths to brighten. Billions of tiny, scattered and colorful lights, connected by a thread of the right kind of energy and intention, can make something truly magical.
How are you using your light – your talents, your energy, your compassion – to make our world shine brighter?
