Reflections: ‘Tis The Season

As I write this, the days are short and darkness falls early. While some people love the chance to wrap up in warm jumpers or huddle close to the fire, for many of us the darkness is not so welcome – we miss the brightness of the sun, the light evenings and the warmth.

Yet in the Northern hemisphere, Christmas falls in the middle of these darkest days.  And many of us fill our homes with sparkly decorations and twinkling lights, tinsel and fairy lights and glitter.  It is both a celebration of the season and also a defiant stand against the darkness.

In the Bible, John’s gospel begins: In the beginning was the one
who is called the Word. The Word was with God and was truly God.
and then goes on to say:

Everything that was created received its life from him, and his life gave light to everyone. The light keeps shining in the dark, and darkness has never put it out.   (John 1:1, 4-5)

The Word is a name for Jesus, and as we celebrate at Christmas, the centre of the story is the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, where God, the Creator of the whole world, stepped down into the darkness and pain of a troubled world.  Jesus came with the offer of light and life, light which cannot be overcome by darkness, and life which lasts beyond death.  Jesus later explained that he was the Light of the World – bringing light into our darkness.

If you find you are struggling in the dark, here is God’s promise for you – the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never, and will never, put it out.  God’s offer of light and life is for everyone, and God’s welcome is wide.  Brighter than the fairy lights, stronger than the mulled wine, and lasting longer than the leftovers, God’s love is a gift we can all share. Get in touch, or come and join us in church to find out more about God’s welcome, light and life.