The World All a-Glow

Bedazzled by lights

“Until one feels the spirit of Christmas, there is no Christmas.  All else is outward display — so much tinsel and decorations.  For it isn’t the holly, it isn’t the snow.  It isn’t the tree nor the firelight’s glow.  It’s the warmth that comes to the hearts of men when the Christmas spirit returns again.”
— Author unknown

“Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most.”
— Ruth Carter Stapleton

I love the lights of Christmas.  I look for their colorful, twinkling cheer to brighten the darkness of this time of year.  The day after Thanksgiving I made myself proud by hanging a paltry, single string of lights over our front door.  Even that small source of color makes me happy once evening comes.  I won’t be putting much effort into Christmas baking or decorating this year, but that single string of lights makes a difference.

This year I found a new way to celebrate the lights of the season — I drove out to the suburbs to see the Christmas Lights show put on by Evergreen Church in Bothell.  The free light show runs very night from November 25th to January 1st.  For about 25 minutes, there is an extravaganza of bedazzling lights blinking on and off in time with piped-in Christmas music.  There is a warming house, cocoa and cookies, warming lamps outside, and on the grounds a tunnel of light and nativity scene.

Just before dusk, ribbons of crows — thousands of them — flew by high over the church to their night roosts.  That was amazing, too.

Evergreen Church in Bothell

The church itself looks a bit like a suburban motel, but then it is magically transformed under the lights.  In the opening video, the church’s pastor states that there are 70 languages spoken in the city of Bothell, and then we hear individuals send us Christmas greetings in their native tongues.  I appreciated this warm welcome.

Here are some photos: