Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Isn't it so?

Christmas has come and gone from in and around the Castle, and after all the festivities there is one thing that I find, as I come across them, utterly abhorrent.

Old decorations, whether they be Christmas, or perhaps even summer string lighting. Nonetheless, wires and strands of plastic coated cabling awkwardly strewn about and tangled in everything. These strands sit in broad daylight, drooping from naked, leafless, tree branches - and they look gawdy. Then, at night when it's dark, they are not seen, or perhaps an out of season decoration is on anyway - blazing away describing with utter perfection the utter ignorance of the one who dwells there.

Then - I think of 'The Church'.

How silly the strands of followers look, when they are not plugged in. A lifeless strand that you know should be doing something, twinkling, what have you. But no, this is how it seems to be in the modern Church. Either you see this unplugged strand, that you know can produce marvels - but is not, or you get the other - a blazing and irritating light completely 'out of season', yet blazing anyway, without any concern for things like time and place, or more importantly, being 'in and out of season'.

Yes, we shine brightly in some seasons, and other seasons, like those with vitamin D deficiencies, we must bask ourselves in the light, from a much more powerful source.

Anyway..

This I know - an unplugged cable not only does nothing, but has the added bonus of ugliness. A light properly plugged in, yet poorly timed is not only beyond useless, but delves into hilarity as one mid summer day, Sun clear, hot, and strong, finds someone wandering the yard with a flashlight, or better - a 10,000 watt theater spotlight, and he is swinging it all around managing to blind you from the Sun itself.

Ah, but Christmas... and the warmth, joy, and wonder of a well timed light in the world.