[SB] Sabbath Blessing

[Molly Wolf]

LEDs

If I talk the talk and don't walk the walk, I have a Problem. I purport to 
care about the environment, and I really do try pretty hard, although I 
have my areas of sloth (mostly involving the greater convenience of the 
internal combustion engine). And so this year, I went out and bought 
light-emitting diode (LED) Christmas tree lights. They consume about 90% 
less electricity than incandescent lights; the bulbs are unbreakable, and 
they last much, much longer. (I also bought reusable gift bags instead of 
wrapping paper, but that's another essay. Maybe.)

I knew it was environmentally the right thing to do, but my lower lip was 
still well out into the next county. Every single Christmas that I 
remember, right back to when I was little, the first step in decorating the 
tree was getting out the strings of lights, plugging them in, and replacing 
the dud bulbs. This was the moment when we first trotted out the good 
Christmas music; it was a slow, methodical, meditative process, involving 
careful colour choices. Then just as slowly, methodically, and 
meditatively, we would light the tree, weaving the strands of light in 
towards the centre and back out along the branches, working our way up from 
the base to the tip, hooking the lights onto individual twigs. In the old 
house, which had a bay window superbly designed for large Christmas trees, 
running the lights took two extension cords because if you used only one, 
it would melt. And you couldn't run the vacuum cleaner with the tree on. I 
don't have that sort of space now, and we go in for more modest trees (and 
our wiring is less eccentric), but I still like to make the tree shine, 
inside and out.

With LEDs, there are no dud bulbs; scratch one Christmas tradition. And 
there are no hooks to fasten the lights to the twigs; you just wrap the 
strand on like a garland. Instead of taking a full evening, as it usually 
does, it took me about half an hour to put 200 LED lights up on the slim 
but shapely balsam I'd bought. It was quick and convenient, but it left an 
emotional hole you could park a truck in.

I kicked myself for mourning a little. This tree is in honour of the child 
who came with the express promise of turning the old upside down and inside 
out, of turning the mighty from their seats and exalting those whom society 
despises. This child is the Prince of Peace in a world that still prefers 
to settle things by war. This child talks about forgiveness taking the 
place of vengeance, of the great Temple being tumbled stone from stone. 
This child's aim is no less than to rewrite the rules and turn this world's 
way into God's Kingdom way, and God help anything that gets in the way of 
that change. This child will even upend that oldest and most powerful of 
world-forces, death itself.

I have no doubt what our Creator and his Word would have to say about 
environmental choices. The Holy Spirit is (to my mind) indubitably the 
greatest tree-hugger of them all. Creator loves his Creation, after all, 
and must mourn terribly at the damage we've done to it. out of our 
stupidity, greed, and simple lack of attention. My wanting my old Christmas 
customs is natural and human and normal, but it isn't the Kingdom way. 
Other things matter more. It's time I changed.

I thought this as I wrapped the strands of LEDs, starting at the bottom, 
keeping to the inside reaches, working my way up. I'd wrap the inside of 
the tree; then I'd bring the strand down the outside twigs to finish off. I 
had to admire the effect; the lights are deeper and more mysterious than 
the classic incandescent bulbs, although I missed the brilliant clear 
whites and golds that I like to alternate with richer colours.

I got to the top and started to work my way down.

I had maybe 10 LEDs left. Not nearly enough to finish lighting the tree. 
Not nearly. I called Canadian Tire; the nearest store with LED sets still 
available is a 40-minute drive, which really would be environmentally 
irresponsible.

The old lights are downstairs in their plastic storage tub, with the boxes 
of replacement bulbs. The Christmas CDs are where I left them.  Next year, 
I promise you, God, I will buy more LEDs and light the tree entirely with 
them. I promise.