A Light in the Darkness: A Reason to Rejoice This Christmas
In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. -- John 1:4-5
December 21st, three days before Christmas, marks the winter solstice for the Northern Hemisphere, the shortest day and the longest night of the year. Although Christmas is said to be the "best time of the year," winter can be brutal for many and endless for those struggling with the dark, frigid months.
When Lucy first discovered Narnia in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, it was a place of endless winter. Her childlike wonder didn't see the sadness, at least not immediately; instead, it was magical. Its icy layers and sparkling snow-filled world were fairy tales, not horror stories. But the Pevensie children soon found the truth: a forever winter is not magical; it's sad, lonely, and dark, especially when there is no Christmas.
Many will argue that Christmas has pagan roots and traditions; it's not the day Christ was born. But I don't believe it matters when the actual day was; what matters is that we acknowledge He came.
Pagan roots or not, it's fitting that we celebrate Jesus' birth at the darkest and coldest time of the year in most places. No matter what date the calendar displayed when He arrived, He came to a dark, cold, and lonely world—a world where it was always winter, no matter the temperature, and never Christmas.
Hopefully, your Christmas is spent enjoying family and all the lovely things Christmas brings. But if your winter months look more like Narnia when the Pevensie children discovered it—always winter and never Christmas–I pray that you will look to the Light here, even if your physical eyes can't see it just now.
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." -- John 8:12
Maybe you're experiencing grief and loneliness, or perhaps your world feels more fearful than faith-filled even though people surround you. If this is your struggle today, you are sincerely not alone.
We may be in the darkest, coldest time of the year—and perhaps you are in your darkest season—but Christmas day reminds us of the promise that the Light is coming to stay. One day, Jesus will return to end the endless winter and darkest night, not as a helpless baby but as a conquering king.
The celebration of Christmas isn't just the fact that He once came; It is that He has promised to return. No matter how dark the night or cold the hour, His Light shines over the horizon.
Friend, keep faithfully looking to the dawn on the horizon where the Light is and where your hope stands firm. Fear not; this winter won't last forever, which is reason enough to rejoice this Christmas.
Questions for Reflection:
1. Do you feel the darkness more intently this time of year? If so, which truth is Jesus providing to remind you to overcome the darkness with light?
2. How do you sense Jesus calling you to actively look towards the light of the victory He has secured for you?
3. Where do you see Jesus in this dark world?
4. What part of Christ's birth story do you enjoy the most?
