Originally posted on Facebook on Sunday, January 11, 2026.

Earlier this week, we put my dear Aunt Lesley to rest. During the proceedings, there were a lot of overly religious platitudes that rang especially hollow.

I guess that's partly because Aunt Lesley wasn't overly religious, but it was mostly because I know I hadn't loved my Aunt, Uncle and Cousin like I should.

It's been more than 10 years since I've seen them and they're just on the coast (fewer than 300 miles away). As my cousin and I were catching up, I was saddened to hear how they had been struggling alone.

I can talk about the Light all day, but I need to do a better job of carrying it. What good is talking about the Light, if the hearers are left sitting in the dark?

Light exposes. It allows us to see things for what they are. However, that alone can leave us jaded and cynical. This is so common that we have a euphemism for it: "the ugly truth".

But there's something more to the light that Christ claimed to be and that we as Christians are called to carry. It is a key distinction between other variants of "light" or "truth".

The Light of the Son not only exposes, it gives life.

"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men."
— John 1:4

So, we not only see things for what they are, we carry capacity to bring life to it—a whole other dimension of dynamism, potential and hope. That's the "beautiful Truth" and is exactly what I received when the Light was carried to me.

Light is received when photons move. We are the photons of Christ, and His love propels us.

"For the love of Christ compels us…"
— 2 Corinthians 5:14

Funerals are always sobering. This one exposed how I could do a better job being present for people I say I love.

I repent.

By God's grace I will do a better job of carrying the light to my sphere—what has been given into my care—to nurture life and health in it. It starts where I am, my household, and works its way outward.

Then the words are not hollow, they're given flesh, made substantive, and have real meaning.