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Light in the darkness

 

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5, ESV)

Christmas is coming!

For many of us that means good things. Family traditions are revisited and tables are full to overflowing with food, family, and friends. Elaborate feasts are prepared. Grandma's famous pie is made with love. Decorations liven up the home. 

For many of us however, Christmas is a keen reminder of loss. Uncles refuse to be in the same room together at the family gathering. There are less places at the table than the year before because someone has passed away. Tension at the table is thicker than the turkey gravy because something is not being talked about. Parents are worried about how long it is going to take to pay off the debt incurred to create this "joyful" season. 

So we work hard to put on the best Christmas ever. We hide our pain. We mask our sorrow. We plaster on smiles and drain ourselves of whatever energy we had before the season because it is hard to pretend. We watch all the movies which always have happy endings as people experience their Christmas miracles. 

Doing this separates this season from the rest of our lives and Christmas becomes an escape that bears little resemblance to the rest of life. 

But doing this betrays the good news of this season. On Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus. We celebrate the fact that God became one of us; that the creator became human, and entered into this world.

This world full of darkness, depression, death, and despair. 

We celebrate the good news that God is with us here, now, in the middle of the pain. That light has entered into this dark world of pain, and the darkness has not, and cannot, overcome it. 

No matter how small that light may seem in your life, may you cling to this truth. 

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5, ESV)

Categories: Holidays