Together at the Lights

Photo from Press-Register

One of my favorite events of the year in Fairhope is the Lighting of the Trees.  If you're new to the community (as many people in our church are each week), you are welcome to come to the event with me.  I'll be the guy with the big, goofy grin on his face.  Here's the way it works.  On the Thursday before Thanksgiving, the city closes the downtown streets.  Large crowds congregate at "The Clock" at the intersection of Fairhope Avenue and Section Street.  The school bands play and the mayor makes a speech.  As the clock strikes 6:00 p.m., he flips a switch and the darkened streets are illuminated in a moment.  A million Christmas lights, which have been carefully placed in the trees alongside the streets, warm the night.  A loud cheer goes up from the crowd and the music begins again.

To some, that may sound like a rather silly thing for all those people to get excited about.  But I guess the thing that I like about it is just that: we all get excited about something together.  A divisive election season will be over.  It will be a few weeks before the Iron Bowl.  And for one evening, we can all come together to get excited about something--even though it may seem silly to some.  We put aside our differences and unite for a small celebration.  People cheer with wonder and awe about the same thing at the same moment.  I'll admit that I don't even look at the lights at first.  I look for the light to shine on our children's faces as they react to the spectacle.

As we head into the holiday season, I wonder if we could find more things like this to get excited about.  What if we came together in the Unity of Christ in the midst of Thanksgiving?  What if we shared that same wonder as we anticipate the coming of the Christ Child?  What if we put aside the competition of gifts and parties and instead celebrated the purity of the Hope of God?

The Lighting of the Trees kicks off the Holiday Season in Fairhope.  Maybe I'll see you downtown that night coming for the same reason I am. Then let's be in worship and study together throughout the Season as we pray that we will let God bring us all together for His purpose today and forevermore.