So the Israelites allotted to the Levites these towns and their pasturelands, as the LORD had commanded through Moses. – Joshua 21:8



Today’s Scripture Reading (December 12, 2015): Joshua 21





Our Granddaughter Emilina in 2014 looking at the now
broken Christmas Tree



tOur Christmas tree is broken. That probably means that it is time to go and buy a new one (we gave up trying to find the perfect real ree a couple of decades ago). But the problem is that we kind of like this tree. Some of that is probably just sentimental attachment, an irrational attachment of that tree with some significant Christmas family events, but knowing that does not make the change any easier. The problem is that the tree has lights built into it, but now the lights in one section refuse to work. And what good is a Christmas tree with a dark section in the middle.

Our solution, at least for this year, is to hide the dark section by placing a string of extra lights on the dark section of the tree; lights that are left over from the days when we had to put the lights on the tree ourselves every year. And that works, as long as you don’t look too closely and see a bunch of useless dark lights sitting on the branches of the Christmas Tree. But lights are useless if they refuse to shine.

The placement of the Levites in Israel was ingenious. The Levites, who were responsible for the Tabernacle, and then after the time of Solomon, the Temple, were not given their own piece of land. They also were not placed in tight formation around the Tabernacle so that they could be close to the dwelling place of God. Instead, they were spread throughout the nation of Israel. No tribe would be left without their light and their influence. God had built in the Christmas lights on the Christmas Tree that was Israel. All they had to do was shine.

Within Christianity, this idea is carried out through those of us who dare to call ourselves Christian. We are the lights, spread throughout the countries of the world. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called us salt and light.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:13-16 NIV).

We were never intended to be gathered in one place just as salt is sprinkled all over your food, or lights, especially on a Christmas Tree, are intended to be spread out all over the branches so that no one spot would be left in the dark. Instead we are spread throughout our cities and countries. And all that is left for us is to shine.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Joshua 22