As a member of the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club I helped put out the luminaria this year. Two city trucks were loaded up with boxes of candles, white paper bags like you get at a bakery and sand. lots of sand. Then four Rotarians hopped in the back and started filling bags as we went down the street. A fifth Rotarian (me) strategically (or so I hoped) dropped the bags along the the side of the road, about eight feet apart, and then, three other Rotarians followed behind straightening out the candles. One such truck can from the East End of the island, the other from the west, until we met in the middle. Later a group of Kiwanians lit all the candles, and then, at the end of the evening, the local Lions Club cleaned them all up.
Meanwhile, many, many other folks (like my wife Linda at the Community House where she works) were singing along the way, selling goodies, offering up special treats--hundreds of Sanibelians were involved in the event. It was beautiful. A symbol of light in an often dark world. But for it to happen, we all had to work together. As I said to my fellow Rotarians as we sweated and strained putting out the bags, "The Chamber of Commerce could have a new motto: 'Luminary Night: It doesn't just happen!'"
As we move further into this Advent season I pray that you will be one of those who help bring the light of love into the world. I hope you will work for peace and justice. I hope you will work to help make this a better world. Remember: it doesn't just happen. It takes all of us doing our part--small as that may seem. After all, who would have thought a babe born in a manger would make such a difference?
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