What Flicks Your Bic?

Matthew 2:1-12

January 4, 2004

 

WHAT FLICKS YOUR BIC?

How many of you have heard the expression “What Flicks Your Bic”?

      Means “Whatever turns you on”

BIC is name of a lighter > cigarette, cigar, pipe, campfire, etc

      Some use it to shine a little light on the subject > whatever the subject is

      It takes some dexterity and a litter perseverance to get it going

            Once you get them lit > they can do what they’re meant to do for quite a long time

            But sooner or later

                        Some are refillable > just need containers of compatible lighter fluid and away you go

                        Others are disposable > when they no longer light, throw away and buy another one

      Whether your BIC is refillable or disposable > same problem eventually happens

            The day comes when light comes from your BIC > there is only darkness

 

BICS IN THE BIBLE

No light > only darkness > that was the situation for the people who lived in Israel

      Several hundred years had gone by since the last “word from the Lord”

      Darkness covered the face of the earth once again

            Not exactly the kind of darkness that existed at creation > but close

                        There was chaos when God began creating > and there was chaos before Jesus’ birth

                         People found no meaning to their lives > they lacked focus in their daily activities

                        It was pretty dark

And then a star shone in the east > once again, God’s light pierced the darkness

      There has been lots of discussion about that light

            Some says it was Haley’s Comet that lit up the skies in 12 BCE

            Others say it was a cluster of stars that made a spectacle of itself

            To Matthew, though, origin of star was not as important as meaning of the light it provided

                        Christmas Star was God’s way of telling world about that light that shone in darkness

                        i.e., God flicked the BIC > and the world became a better place

            Jesus became a real live boy > a human > “the lighter of the world”

           

BICS AND US

Let’s see if this BIC lighter really does have human characteristics

      Imagine for a minute that you and I are BIC lighters

            We do have some things in common > “body” and “head”

      Imagine that we were created to light up some dark corner of the world

            Yet for some reason we just cannot seem to do it

                        It may very well be that we have run out of fuel

                        Or maybe we have plenty of fuel but not enough spark to ignite it

                                    When we cannot be the light we were meant to be                                           

                                                There is a reason for it        

                                                            We are carrying the burdens of our lives all alone

                                                            We have not paid attention to what is happening to us

                                                            We have ignored the effects of our heavy loads

                                                It finally gets us down

                                                And we discover that we have no power to help ourselves

                                                            As much as we’d like to believe we are self-sufficient

                                                            We simply are not that independent

 

DAVID ADAM’S STORY

David Adams (on page 183 in Borderlands published by Sheed and Ward in 1991) tells story

      Received first bicycle the Christmas he was 12

      Now he could go anywhere he wanted > his energy was unlimited

      Had no trouble with his first 4-mile ride

      So he and another 12-year-old set out on a longer trip > 32 miles there and 32 back

            No problem > picnic in the park

            But after several miles they both realized they had miscalculated time and energy

                        Hadn’t even reached half-way point when David knew he could not go on

                        His friend was in much the same shape

                        David got off his bike for a minute > and could not get back on

                        He says “No amount of will-power would push on my tired limbs > gone too far.”

                                    His friend left him and went on ahead

                                    And David was all alone way out in the country

                                    As darkness fell, he became frightened and fearful

                                    No one seemed to notice him as they drove past

            At the point he thought he would die > his eyes made out the form of his own father

                        His friend had found a telephone and called him

                        Gently, his father picked him up and put him in cab of truck

                                    Equally as gently > picked up his bicycle and put it in the back

                                    It wasn’t long before they were back home

                                    He was safe

                                    More importantly > he knew what it was to be loved

                                                And to be rescued when his own power was gone

 

WE NEED POWER BEYOND OUR OWN

We need a Power beyond our own

      Our light has limits > left to ourselves we run out of energy

      And we need a power beyond our own > a power that is greater than our power

            A light that is brighter than our light

      That light comes from Jesus > Emmanuel > God with us

            God will not force this Light on us

            But we do need to ask > God will carry our load for us > even carry us if we need it

            To give us what we need to rekindle our light > “flick our BIC”

Before you leave this image of yourself as a lighter > look closely at the small print on your side

                        THIS LIGHTER CONTAINS ONE BEAM OF LIGHT

                        MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD

                        WHO SENT CHRIST JESUS INTO THE WORLD TO LIGHT THE WAY                              

As we stand at the threshold of a whole new year > let this be our “New Year’s Resolution”

            Find a way to let God’s power restore our power

            Seek to let God’s light enflame our own lights