I am sure you have heard this joke before. “Due to financial constraints, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off until further notice.” I hope you will forgive me for calling that “dark humour.”
But it is funny because we all know how far a little glimmer of light can carry us. When you are going through tough times, a little bit of light goes a long way. In the cold of winter, that first little bulb peaking through the snow means more than a field of flowers in the summer.
And in this season after Epiphany, we are hearing stories of the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, the first glimmers of the gospel that appeared in Galilee, this week at a wedding in Cana when the wine “gave out” and Jesus showed them water turned to wine. In John’s gospel that is called the first “sign.” The first glimmer. The light at the end of the tunnel.
Our intrepid Spirit Singers director Gill often says that we are a community and you never know when you may be the person your choirmate needed to see to get them through the day. You never know what difference your light can make to another person, so show up with your light as best you can.
As we reflect on our “star-words” and the community of faith as “God’s Constellation,” I am thinking about how we each show up, the light we shed, the glimmer we offer. We are not solitary stars but we have a part to play in something important. We might be the first light someone has seen all day. We might be the right light at the right time. You might be the light at the end of someone’s tunnel.