The everlasting light

By Ariana Keating

The Christmas when I was six years old, our teacher taught my class a poem titled “Where Jesus Was Born.” The poem tells the story of three boys who went to see Jesus. One was blind, another was mute, and the third was lame. Despite their infirmities, they helped one another make their way to the manger where Jesus was born. Because of their love for one another and their eagerness to see the newborn Savior, God gave them a special Christmas present—He healed them.

I remember that poem and the joy we had performing it for our parents and friends. As a child, I imagined the three little boys were around my own age, and I was so happy that they were healed on that special night. Now, I can’t help but think of all the other people whose lives have been changed because of Jesus’ birth—probably far more than we will ever know.

There was once a man walking the road to Bethlehem, leading a donkey that carried his expectant wife. Nine months earlier Joseph’s life had taken a sudden change—for the worse, it seemed at the time—yet there had been a glimmer of hope: He had been promised in a dream that all would be right. He held on to that promise; he hoped and prayed and patiently waited. That first Christmas night all fears were washed away. As the tiny Babe lay in the manger, peace flooded Joseph’s worried soul.

On the hills outside Bethlehem a lowly shepherd watched sheep all night. Life was hard for him. He had taxes to pay and a large family to feed. His country was occupied by a foreign army, and he longed for the day when he would be free. That night of the first Christmas, as he sat under the starlit sky, he prayed like he had every other night for as long as he could remember for an answer to his problems. That night his prayers were answered, and as he watched the Babe sleeping in the manger he knew that God was going to work everything out in the end. Light came into his life that Christmas night.

There was a wise man in the East who, in his quest for truth and meaning in life, had long searched the night skies for a sign. Despite all of his knowledge and the riches he had accumulated, he longed for something more. So he searched once more for the answer to his heart’s desire, for peace of heart and mind, using all of his knowledge and skill. The answer came with a wondrous new star that heralded our Savior’s birth and led him to the young Child.

The heart of man is the same the world over. There is always a need for love to make life truly complete. Two thousand years later, there are still many who are waiting for their heart’s desire. A busy working mother yearns for even just a moment of serenity after another day of juggling job and family. A businessman has deadlines to meet, a boss to please, and bills to pay, but he knows there must be a way out, some way to relieve the pressure and stress he feels. A student, unsure of his future, searches for his place in life. He needs to find someone who will help him make his way in this world full of uncertainties.

For each one, the answer is the same as it was for those others that long-ago night in Bethlehem. The same love that touched the hearts of those who were in need of hope, faith, and comfort two thousand years ago can still touch the hearts of those who are searching today. Let the love of Christmas shine into your life. On that first Christmas night, love came down from Heaven to dwell among us, love that brings joy to the hearts of sincere seekers and light to the world—love that will never fade and light that will never grow dim. 

Ariana Keating is a volunteer with the Family International in Thailand.