Light, when concentrated in one area, is effective and helpful to those caught in its brilliance.  They are bathed in its rays and the things that were dark or hidden are now illuminated and made clear.  In the light, there is a sense of safety, comfort, and contentment.  These are things that only light brings. 

Often, we think of the church of Jesus Christ as light.  A brilliance that illuminates and brings clarity.  Jesus said, “I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness.”  In His light, we find safety, comfort, and contentment.  When we come into Christ’s Church, we sense that we have encountered something that can only be experienced there.

A few years ago, I began to ask a very serious question. It was a question that plagued me deep inside and I couldn’t get away from it.  Everything that I did, everything that I thought, every person I met, or experience I had brought this question flooding to the forefront of my mind.  So many different nuances, different angles, different answers depending on the person that I asked.  I wanted more.  I wanted to get to the bottom of it.  From the very beginning, I knew that I wasn’t interested in simple answers but longed for deeper understanding.

The question, on the surface, isn’t all that complicated.  For some, the answer seems really simple, but for me, it took on a life of its own.  My question soon became my prayer and God and I began to discuss it.  “Lord, why do people not want what the Church has to offer? Why do they not want what I have found in your Church?”

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Today, I was given a special gift from a special person. It’s the kind of gift that means a lot to me, the kind that makes me think. And, the longer I contemplate the giver’s generosity, the more I appreciate having received it. The significance of the gift has very little to do with actual monetary value but finds its significance in the story that it could tell. It is the story that makes it priceless and, for that reason, I am blessed to have received it.

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