Candle-lit Breakfast

When my kids were younger, I used to try to make the dark mornings of winter a little more fun by having candle-lit breakfasts. It was my goofy attempt at bringing a little light into the darkness. When it was time for the kids to leave for school, I would send them out the door with these words (and frequent eye-rolls in return!)…

“God’s light shines in you.

God’s light shines in me.

God’s light shines in everyone we meet.

Look for it.”

The reality is, though, that some days it can be awfully hard to see the light. Not only is tonight (winter solstice) literally the longest night of the year but the darkness of the lingering pandemic permeates our lives as well. It feels like every decision, every action, every gathering brings endless, murky ambiguity. Am I putting others at risk? Am I putting myself at risk? Masks? No masks? Indoors? Outdoors?

And of course there are all the questions and challenging conversations around vaccinations. If I truly believe that God’s light shines in everyone I meet, then I need to continue loving everyone I meet (vaccinated or not). And I do. But I can also raise my voice - loudly and lovingly - and say, “Please friends, get vaccinated so that your light can continue to shine in this world.”

So, when darkness feels like it is closing in from every direction, how do we reclaim the light? Well, that my friends, is what Christmas is all about!

“What has come into being in him [Christ] was life,

and the life was the light of all people.

The light shines in the darkness and

the darkness did not overcome it.” John 1:1-5

The light of Christ is the true gift of Christmas. The light shines in the darkness and brings us hope that the darkness – as all consuming as it may feel at times - will not overcome us.

This doesn’t mean that the darkness won’t still be exhausting, frustrating and frightening or that everything will magically be bright and easy. However, the light of Christ does reassure us that we are not alone; that we will not be lost forever in the darkness. The light shines around us just enough so that we can see the next small step forward.

So, when it feels like the darkness is closing in, light a candle. Move gently forward one small step at a time and remember that God’s light shines in you, in me, and in everyone we meet. Look for it.