Seeing a great Light

January 4, 2007

By Randy Mantik

My son, Caleb, has had an interest in trains for most of his 9 years. The other day he picked out a movie at the library about New York City’s Grand Central Station. We watched it and found it to be full of interesting information about the station’s history and day-to-day operations. For instance, we learned that hundreds of thousands of people go through the station every day requiring station workers to deal with literally tons of garbage. Discarded newspapers total up to 5 tons per day!

Considering how critically important Grand Central is to New York City’s transportation system, it is hard to believe that not so long ago the station was approaching the wrecking ball. However, friends of the station came forward and it was saved.

Millions of dollars were spent on its renovation in the late 1980s. Chandeliers were restored. The ceiling, completely black from years of grime and dirt, was cleaned and revealed a beautiful blue surface upon which was painted a huge depiction of the constellations.

Of all the renovations, the one that seemed to affect people the most was the newly uncovered windows in the station’s magnificent hall. Years before, the windows had been painted and huge advertising signs had been placed over them. But the signs came down, the windows were scraped and cleaned, and light streamed in once again. It was the same station, but people were seeing it in a new way. Why? Because light had come in!

What a great way to look at each new year! We mark our centuries and years according to Christ’s arrival, the Light of the world: The A.D. in “A.D. 2007” stands for Anno Domini, Latin for “in the year of our Lord.”

The prophet of old speaks of the coming of the Messiah like this: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2, NIV). When Christ came, things changed. Light had come and darkness had to leave. John says, “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world” (John 1:9). History has been marked by Jesus.

Though Christ has made an indelible and inimitable mark on history, the mark He most desires to make is on men’s hearts. John continues His description of Christ’s coming saying, “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. … Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:10,12).

Think again of the commuters walking through Grand Central Station suddenly discovering that everything was different. They looked up and saw the light had transformed their surroundings. Wow! What a picture!

We may ask, “God, why aren’t You doing more in my life?” Then suddenly we look up and through faith, see God’s light shining into the darkness of our circumstances. We discover He has already been at work, and somehow things are beginning to seem remarkably different.

Randy Mantik is senior pastor of Crossroads Church of the Assemblies of God in Pembine, Wis.