December 2021 - LPNI

Main menu:

December 2021

LPNI Devotion

Light of the World

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 ESV)

In these days full of darkness, we need to look on Jesus as the light of the world and as the one who makes our lives bright again.

We have now been living with ther COVID pandemic for almost two years. Our lives have changed. And again, the number of COVID 19 patients is increasing vastly. We now have more than we ever had before, and there is so much work to do, especially if we are working as a nurse. We face the same questions as last year, but this time it seems to be even worse as we are now facing Omicron, the new virus variant. Once again, we do not know how we will be able to celebrate Christmas. Once again we have to cope with loss and death, and are overburdened. We so urgently need light in us and in our world.

Last week a nurse colleague prepared a surprise for me. After I had finished work she came to my office and hung up a beautiful Herrenhut star over my desk. She installed the lamp in the star and arranged that in the morning another colleague would come earlier and light the star, so when I would open the door, the star would shine. As I opened my office door I almost cried. Seeing the star of Christmas was so much a symbol of Christ’s presence in my office.

In Germany it is quite common to hung up a Christmas star based on the tradition of the Herrenhut star. In 1722 Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf granted a place of asylum to the first refugees from Moravia who were fleeing on account of their faith. With the settling of the first two families, the fast growing community of Herrnhut (meaning under the Lord’s protection) was founded.

The Herrenhut Star, which originated over 160 years ago in the Renewed Moravia Church, is considered the source of all handmade Christmas stars. At the beginning of the 19^th century, the first star made of paper and cardboard shone in the rooms of the boarding school of the Moravian Church. Since living conditions in the missionary territories were often very adverse, parents sent their school-age children back to their homelands. Of course, these boarding schools could not take the place of home. Being separated from their parents was very painful for the children, especially during the Advent and Christmas season. Hence the star as a symbol of the Bible story was a welcome helpmate.

A teacher first used the star in a mathematics class as a way to help children better understand geometry. He let the children at the boarding school construct stars of various geometrical shapes and these stars later adorned the schoolrooms. The first stars were coloured white and red – white for purity and red for the blood of Jesus Christ.

So now in my office a bright star is shining reminding me that Christ is our guiding star. And it also reminds me that Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16: ‘You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden. People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket. No, they put it on a stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. In the same way let your light shine in people’s presence, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.’

Let us look on to Jesus the light of the world and then let him shine through us into our world!

Have a merry and blessed Christmas!

Angela Glaser, MA, RN, Vis-à-vis/Parish Nursing coordinator and educator in Germany

Evangelische Kirche der Pfalz, Schubertstr. 1a, D-67373 Dudenhofen, Germany

angela@glaser5.de

(Historical background from: https://www.herrnhuter- sterne.de/en/Entstehungsgeschichte.html)