Daylight Savings Time

W

ell, this past weekend marked the arrival of a long-standing ritual.  Newscasts, radio announcers, newspaper ads, flyers, and word of mouth advertisement were all put to full use to remind us to set our clocks ahead one hour.

I’m not sure where you were when you advanced your clocks but I was in my kitchen cooking dinner.  Around 7:15 in the evening, I decided to go ahead and adjust my clocks.  Immediately, my dinner hour almost ran into my bedtime.  That quick sweep of the clock made all the difference in the world.  Sunday morning, however, really demonstrated just how much daylight savings time impacts our lives.

My alarm sounded at 5:00 a.m.  Normally, it is getting light outside as the first tendrils of the sun’s rays splash across the eastern horizon.  Sunday morning, however, it was still dark when my alarm woke me up.  At first I thought I had made a mistake in setting my alarm clock, but the time on the clock as well as on my watch was correct.

The real proof came in the late afternoon.  As I made my way home, the clock in my car read 6:45.  On Saturday evening at this time, the sun was well on its way to bed, sitting just above the horizon.  But on Sunday afternoon it was still shining brightly in the sky with at least another hour or better before setting.  In this “extra” daylight people had more time to tend to their outdoor activities or responsibilities.  That “extra” hour made all the difference in the world!

Jesus knew that the most opportune time to perform any type of work was daytime.  The sun provided the necessary light and made it possible for people to perform their every-day tasks.  Also, in a figurative sense, Jesus also knew that as the light of the world, he had to accomplish the task God the Father gave in a brief period of time. Jesus referred to this time as daylight and he spoke of it in John 9:4, “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.”

There are two key ideas Jesus communicates in this passage.  As we have already seen, daylight represents the time when we can work for God.  It is that moment when we have the opportunity to share our testimony with those who have never heard about Jesus.  It is the opportunity we have to help someone, to speak a kind word, or to hold their hand as they face a difficulty moment in life.  When these moments are over, so is the daylight; and night falls.  Jesus tells us plainly that when night comes, the work is over.  When opportunities pass us by, they may never come again.

Take a lesson from this past weekend’s activities.  Let the longer daylight period remind you to use every waking moment to cease every opportunity to share the gospel and the love of Jesus Christ with those around you.  Never fail to take every chance you have to tell others about Jesus.  While it is daylight, share the truth of the gospel.  Are you using daylight savings time wisely today?