The 12 Days of Christmas - Day 5

Koinonia
Mary Ann Waltmon

1John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

I notice that in 1 John 1:7 it does not say if we run in the light. Of course it means our walk, our way of traveling in this world, and not literally walking, but I couldn’t help but think that we run not walk through this season. So many times we wait for Christmas to be over to catch our breath and take stock. The buildup to the “big day” is so harried that we don’t take the time to see the light all around us and feel his presence in all of the hustle and bustle.

In the past few days, our church has gone through a fire that has caused all of us who call it our home to be sad and disheartened. However, at the same time it has caused me to recognize once again who and what the church really is. It is not the building, although we love the building as we love our individual homes. As I paused to pray for the church in this difficult time, I realized that I was praying for my fellow Christians, my fellow believers. For a few moments in that time of prayer, I felt the warm glow from them, and I knew that God was with us all in this time. As I took time to think of them all, Joan beside me in the choir loft, John, Robert and James, those wonderful Christians I teach with on Sunday mornings, Jamie and Rita taking care of all of us, Steve and Shirley, with smiles and tears and so many others whose faces I can see, I recognize what the walk is about. It is our walk with each other—our taking the time to look into each others’ faces to see God and feel the glowing warmth of that light.

On the fifth day of Christmas, take the time to walk not run and look around you.