Light in the Darkenes

"The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it." John 1:5

Dear People of St. David's,

I pray that you are well and that as the great day of Christmas draws steadily closer, that your plans and preparations are coming together. I pray also that your hearts are light and open to the coming of God among us this Christmas.

This has been a very hard week for light hearts. For along with the cares and struggles of our every day lives and long running conflicts and dangers around the world, the darkness that is still in the world broke out in such violent horror and death last week in Newtown, Connecticut that we are all still reeling. There are no words to describe the sadness and the heartbreak of the loss of so many young, innocent lives. The waste and brokenness caused by the actions of one person sent shockwaves around the country and through all of our hearts. It's enough to make you wonder about God's creation and the ongoing darkness and outright evil that flare up in our lives all too often.

But it is into just this kind of darkness that God's light shines. Sometimes we have a tendency to wrap Christmas up into neat little packages and into a celebration that rarely touches the struggles and darkness in the world and in our lives. We have nice decorations and Christmas worship services and we have times with family and friends that don't always reach into or even touch on the darkness around us. But the light of Christmas is not just another decoration at mid-winter. The light of Christmas, Jesus the Christ, shines light upon the real darkness of human sin and brokenness. The light of Christmas stands in opposition to a power that is seeking to undo and thwart God's purposes in our lives and in the life of the world. The light of Christmas came into the world in another dark moment and comes to us in our darkness. It is a light that seeks and one day will overcome the darkness we know all too well this week.

So, as we put the finishing touches on our Christmas holiday this year or race to the finish on Christmas Eve, look to the light. Invite the light of Christmas to shine on the dark places in your life to bring healing and hope and thankfulness. Invite the light of Christmas to fill you and direct you to be a person who brings light. Then find some way to let that light shine through you to others at St. David's, in your families, in your work or at school, and in every place where the shadows of darkness linger in our world. God's promise is that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness will not overcome it.

May the blessing of the Light of Christmas be yours and may we all allow that light to shine through us so God can use us to bring more and more light to the world.

Merry Christmas!