THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, December 25, 1995 TAG: 9512250031
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CATHERINE KOZAK, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: ROANOKE ISLAND LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
Wayne Wescott's elaborate light display is a perfect example of the marriage between the secular and sacred at Christmas.
Half the lights celebrate the birth of Christ, and the other half salute the sea life that surrounds this historic island.
The sprawling attraction draws onlookers by the hundreds each night as they wait patiently in a line of cars to contemplate the tens of thousands of flickering bulbs and attempt to unravel their symbolism.
Wescott, 52, says he hopes they understand his message.
``Jesus is the reason for the season,'' he calls out to passers-by on these chilly evenings.
A devout Christian employed by the state as a marine specialist, Wescott says his display reflects his life and what he believes is the meaning of Christmas.
On the left half of his yard are depictions of scenes and symbols from the Bible - Jacob's ladder, a sword hovering above the letters ``THE WORD,'' Ezekiel's wheel, a rose and lily of the valley, a lamb beside a lion, the wise men with a camel and what Wescott describes as ``an angel of the Lord,'' about 20 feet in the air, poised above a huge sign that says ``JESUS,'' centered around a waterfall that appears to flow, thanks to the illusion of blinking lights.
The centerpiece, placed in the middle of the yard, shows an angel above a dove, with the words ``JESUS IS THE LIGHT'' below them and on top of an anchor, with a huge candle on either side.
On the right side of the yard are the ocean-related designs: scallops, a jellyfish (``the Lord loves them, too,'' Wescott says), a shark, a sailfish, sea horses, a blue marlin, an octopus, crabs, a flounder, porpoises jumping over a fountain, a lighthouse, a sailboat and a mother whale with her baby.
The only concession to more typical secular Christmas symbols are the snowman and swans directly in front of the two-story house outlined in white lights.
Wescott started his light show on a smaller scale about eight years ago, shortly after moving into his new house on Mother Vineyard Road a block east of Highway 64, just north of the town of Manteo.
``I guess I always loved lights, or I wouldn't be doing this,'' Wescott says.
Every year he adds to the collection. Even now, he's working on a new design, a huge plywood door with hundreds of holes drilled for the lights that will illuminate many references to Jesus. ``This is the only thing I've got that says `Merry Christmas,' '' he observes. ``It's about time.''
He can recite quotes from the Bible as easily as others gossip, but he doesn't push his religious views. Not until he was 30 did he get involved with the Bible or Christianity, he says, when he discovered the power of prayer and was cured of blindness caused by diabetes. He says his mother was cured of alcoholism and terminal cirrhosis of the liver through prayer.
``After seeing something like that, even a stubborn person starts to think,'' Wescott says. ``I'm no more deserving than anyone else. I'm not a super-righteous great human being.''
Wescott says he's not affiliated with any denomination. He and his wife, Juanita, attend Outer Banks Worship Center Ark. Their two children and son-in-law are preachers.
Although his Christmas show has gained a reputation that brings the curious from around the country, Wescott says he's recognized more by the locals for his propensity to go barefoot most of the year.
Their comments don't concern him. ``I would much rather have a reward from God,'' he says. ``I've been so blessed.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photos]
Wayne Wescott, who lives near Manteo, says he has always liked
lights. He uses them to link the sacred and the secular. ``Jesus is
the reason for the season,'' he says.
DREW C. WILSON photos
The Virginian-Pilot
Wayne and Juanita Wescott's home glitters. Among the designs:
scallops, a jellyfish, a shark, a sailfish, sea horses, a blue
marlin, an octopus and crabs.
KEYWORDS: CHRISTMAS LIGHTS by CNB