Well, this put an end to “Daylight Savings Time” for another year. The change in the time by just one hour makes a difference, doesn’t it? Students don’t have to wait on the school buses in the dark – a good thing. When you look out the window at 6 PM, you can feel like it’s time for bed – not always a good thing!
Often Benjamin Franklin is accused of coming up with the idea of “time change.” He didn’t actually propose the moving of the clock hands, though. He simply made the observation, “get up earlier and don’t sleep through the daylight hours – use the sun to do your work and not candles!” Good advice in a day before he discovered electricity!
Daylight Savings Time was actually a wartime measure that began in Europe and Americans adopted it a short time later. The idea was to conserve energy by using sunlight!
Jesus was all about using the sunlight! John’s Gospel records him saying, “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (9:4-5) Notice he said “we” must do the work of him who sent “me” (i.e. Jesus). Our Lord has called US and commissioned US to be at the work of God’s Kingdom every day! And, since Jesus lives to be with us always (Matt. 28:20), we can count on him being the “light of the world” to lead us in this work.
That being so, let’s let the end of Daylight Savings Time be our reminder that as long as we are alive and walking with “the light of the world” we have a job to do – God’s work in the world…loving others as Jesus loved us…sharing the Good News of God’s grace in Christ…serving those in need of compassion…encouraging our friends to look to Jesus who loves them deeply! Thank you for touching your part of the world with his light this week!
In the Love of Jesus,
Tony Tench
PS: One way to walk in the light of Jesus this week is to pray for the people you meet at work, school, home, and out and about. You will hear their struggles as you talk with them and that will give you a chance to pray for them. Stop and pray with them. Send them a note of encouragement. Remind them of God’s grace for the way. Nicole and Gailya’s song a couple of weeks ago offered the prayer we can pray: “I speak the name of Jesus over you. In your hurting, in your sorrow, I will ask my God to move. I pray that a breakthrough would happen today…that fear inside would flee, in Jesus’ name!” (Katy Nicole, In Jesus Name, © Be Essential Songs)