Should you ever be traveling around the east of the Netherlands in December you will see a number of bright beams of light shining up into the winter night sky. The beams seem random to the untrained eye, but they are everything but. The lights are part of a local project (het Oosterlicht). They are a symbol of connection and co-operation at a time when the world needs exactly these two things.
The lights shine vertically into the sky, up to seven or eight kilometers high. The beams are bright and hopeful, switching on at five in the evening and shining until eleven at night.
Nine of these lights go on from the middle of December, each located in a different village. The beam shines directly upwards and can be seen for miles around. Each light is a symbol of the unique identity of each village; a reminder of the qualities that make us different.
On Christmas Eve something magical happens: the lights come together and connect over a central point. A symbol of connection. Of villages working together. Of people co-operating with each other. The lights coming together symbolize us finding ways to support each other, despite our differences.
It’s a poignant reflection of our own personal needs. We all have the desire to feel unique.
The characteristics that make us different are so important. And yet we also look for the things we have in common. We search for the things that unite us.
At the end of the day, we are all just looking for connection.
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This post was first published on The Good Men Project.
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