{"id":4361,"date":"2016-12-22T22:42:43","date_gmt":"2016-12-22T22:42:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/sitenews\/2016\/12\/22\/living-positively-loving-the-true-light\/"},"modified":"2016-12-22T22:42:43","modified_gmt":"2016-12-22T22:42:43","slug":"living-positively-loving-the-true-light","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/living-positively-loving-the-true-light\/","title":{"rendered":"Living positively, loving the true light"},"content":{"rendered":"

23 December 2016 | St Albans, UK [Victor Hulbert]  This Christmas thought message was first given as a morning devotional at the Trans-European Division office:<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Slide15\"<\/a>Well this is it! Christmas 2016! We\u2019ve got through another year, the children are on holiday and rejoicing – and if it is anything like last year \u2013 we are getting ready for chaos as we are invaded by all our lovely family!
Yes, we do enjoy it \u2013 and, in fact, we\u2019ve enjoyed the past year with all its ups and downs.<\/p>\n

And we should enjoy it! I heard a fascinating interview with American science superstar, Neil de Grasse Tyson the other day. Coming from the Bronx and with little motivation from his teachers, he grew up to be an astrophysicist \u2013 and his enthusiasm just comes through in his voice. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NcY0xFlJwIA&feature=youtu.be<\/a><\/p>\n

Something struck me. He questioned why school children rejoice at the end of term. Shouldn\u2019t school be a place of excitement? A place for enquiring minds? A place you really want to go to? After all, we are all natural learners.<\/p>\n

\"xmas<\/a>My grandchildren turned two this month. It means our Christmas get-together will be twice as exciting as last year. But more stimulating than that, is that every time I see them there is a new development. Increased vocabulary. New adventures and achievements \u2013 and for them, each accomplishment comes with a big smile \u2013 a smile mirrored in my own face as there is nothing better than seeing them progress.<\/p>\n

\"DSC00779<\/a>We took one of them up to see the Christmas lights near us. This is not a town centre display. Rather, it is a couple with a rather large garden who strew so many lights out across their property that they can\u2019t even boil a kettle in the evening \u2013 as they\u2019re maxed out on the power supply.<\/p>\n

People drive from miles around to see the display \u2013 and to donate to their chosen charity \u2013 the Berkshire children\u2019s hospice service. Their annual light display is a tribute to a loved child who died of cancer. It is an act of remembrance \u2013 but also joy \u2013 and that is something I like!<\/p>\n

It kind of reminds me of the beginning of John\u2019s Gospel, where he writes, \u201cIn him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.\u201d [John 1:4] \u2013 and then spends the whole Gospel telling how that life \u2013 that light \u2013 made a difference, to Nicodemous, a Samaritan woman, a man born blind \u2013 to Lazarus, and ultimately, to us \u2013 as the Gospel concludes, \u201cJesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. [John 20:30-31]<\/p>\n

And that is why, at the end of this year, I can be filled with joy. Tackling a new job, as I have this year, can be challenging \u2013 but my greatest reward as I have travelled and reported, is meeting people who are \u2018being\u2019 that light – whether in a refugee camp in Greece, a school in Finland, a town centre in Serbia or outside a cinema in Poland.<\/p>\n

\"refugee<\/a>Yes, a refugee camp is a difficult place to report from. At the end of a day there you want to cry \u2013 but the love you find reaches beyond the distress caused by war, politics and the stresses of geography.<\/p>\n

The school was much easier. The children were proud of their Christian faith and heritage in a very secular country… and I could share so many more stories \u2013 all of which, of course, you can find on our website.<\/p>\n

All I\u2019m saying, is that in what we sometimes see as the darkness of this 21st century world \u2013 there is a lot of light ~ and that light comes from you \u2013 and from me \u2013 sharing the One light, Jesus, who invites, \u201cI am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.\u201d John 8:12 It is a story worth re-reading this Christmas time… or even throughout the year!<\/p>\n

There is so much Good News \u2013 and you are a part of it! And for that reason, I can wish you a very Merry Christmas \u2013 and a happy, positive, and God filled New Year. [ted<\/em>NEWS]<\/p>\n

\n

ted<\/em>NEWS Staff: Victor Hulbert, editor; Esti Pujic, associate editor
119 St Peter’s Street, St Albans, Herts, AL1 3EY, England
E-mail: tednews@ted.adventist.org<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
Website: www.ted.adventist.org
ted<\/em>NEWS is an information bulletin issued by the communication department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Trans-European Division.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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