Dar Luz

Dar Luz

Photo by Bgrace

My grandfather once told me this story of a missionary who went to the Amazon. He was new, just learning the language, and he needed some supplies. So he went to the village general store and asked for a candle. The owner gave him a puzzled look and asked what for. The missionary said, "You know, a candle, to give light." At this, the owner looked downright offended. The missionary realized something was a bit off in their communication. He discovered that instead of a vela (which means candle) he had asked for a velha (an old woman). But it gets worse. "Dar luz" which means give light, is also the Brazilian way of saying "to give birth", in other words to have a baby. So instead of asking for a candle for light, he'd asked for an old woman to bear his child. A great first impression.


To give birth, to give light. Life and light are often connected in the Scriptures. John 1 is a beautiful example of this. There is a sense of expectancy, something coming that has been in the works since the beginning, but is only now coming into its fullness.


I took the picture above the day after the snowfall earlier this week. I had let Sam out into the field to play and was so struck by the light on the snow that I ran in to get my camera. The whole field was blanketed in white and glistening with crystals. And I thought, "What would the redeemed world look like?"

Instead of the black night sky speckled with the light of the stars, maybe it will look like crystals on white snow.


I think it will be beautiful.