The King Light of the World

 

The tradition of light display since Thomas Edison grew like ligbis in a haystack.

Sablayan will have its inaugural switch-on tomorrow, if the weather allowed it, on the day of the Solemnity of Christ the King, November 20, 2022, at our plaza. This is the start of the grandiose nights of lights and colors until the culmination day of our town’s 121^st founding anniversary next year themed “Siento Bente Unong Singkad: Bugso ng Bayang Maunlad”. Mayor Bong Marquez anticipates that this would not only showcase our municipality but symbolically manifest our transformation from “darkness to light”. The upcoming celebration is chaired by SB Marffin B. Dulay.

The Solemnity of Christ the King is the end of the liturgical year for us Catholics. Next week we begin a new year with the first Sunday of Advent. And this is the perfect time to reflect on who is the King of our life. Lumen Gentium describes Christ’s Kingship in these few words, “to reign is to serve.” To translate this in the political term, “authority is service.” This should be the inscription in every heart of a Christian public servant of today. Or at least, we continue to try.

For almost three years, the whole country experienced darkness, so to speak. The COVID-19 pandemic, the continuous incidents of natural calamities, the negative effects of rice tariffication in our economy, the incidents of un-peace in upland communities, the decades-long power shortage and monopoly, and another unspeakable litany of woes and chaos, both personal and public. In real-life situations, we reach for the light switch when we enter an unlit room, and we rely on our buildup of knowledge to shed light on our lives.

Light permeates into every crack and fissure of our lives and beings, whether visible, tangible regarding warmness, or metaphorically enlightening. This is how the good mayor sees the imagery of this project aside of course from the delight and entertainment it would bring to his constituents, our visitors, and tourists, especially the children. Lights attract almost all living things. Fishes, animals, insects, plants, birds,- well, except for bats (?) and owls!

The origin of light display before Christmas is traced back to the tradition in Germany and England of hanging candles on trees and displaying them on windows. Flash forward a few later years when Thomas Edison, as I have said, presented the first outdoor electric Christmas light display to the world, and the rest is history. The tradition reached this amazing and trailblazing town in Occidental Mindoro following what Mayor Sonny Pablo of Rizal has successfully started as an annual event. Admittedly, Mayor Bong borrowed this best practice from Mayor Sonny. The Rizal initiative became the inspiration.

By the way, Mayor Rey Ladaga of San Jose fully decorated the historic Pandurucan Bridge and the Town Plaza with the same magical Christmas lights and colors. The ceremonial switch-on in San Jose happened last Friday. It attracted thousands of onlookers from all over the town and is now viral on social media. An array of performances from local talents graced the occasion.

God’s Kingship is not about self-serving, arrogant, and unwise power, but about a God who is infinite love. Accepting Christ as King means that we strive to live like the Good Shepherd. The Gospel of Matthew sums it up best,- I think, when it says: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, to give his life as a ransom for the many” (Mt. 20:28). Amen. (I missed my former job as a Church pastoral worker citing biblical passages in every official communication and engagement especially this time of the year.)

May the Feast of Christ the King change and influence the way we think, we work,- the way we spend our time of leisure, how we appreciate light displays, the way we pray, and the way we treat our clients, our subordinates, co-workers, and our superiors.

May the Star of Bethlehem guide us all to the mission of the sweet innocent Child in the manger who as an adult angrily cleansed the temple with a whip in His hand that led to His passion and ultimate crucifixion but liberated us from our sins.

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” -John 8:12 . (Told you.)

Enjoy the King Light and the decorative lights, my beloved readers!

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Photo courtesy of John Reniel Barraca, Office of the Mayor