Light in the Darkness

Carol Service 2019

I wonder what you are afraid of?

Are any of you afraid of the dark?

We’re at the time of year when it’s dark – and I hate it! I hate getting out of bed when it’s still dark, I hate the fact it’s dark when I leave work. There just isn’t enough light – and it gets to me! I’m not afraid of it exactly, but I don’t like it.

And there are plenty of other things I can be afraid of...we are living in a time of deep division both within our country and globally. It’s easy to be afraid of what the future holds, particularly for the poorest and most vulnerable in our country.

I wonder what you are afraid of?

There is so much scope for fear in the world we live in, isn’t there – fear of losing those we love, fear of suffering, fear of persecution. And somehow, it is easier to be fearful when it’s dark.

Darkness hinders our ability to see, it allows things to remain hidden, it can make us want to hibernate – to curl up and retreat or hide…

And yet there is something about darkness that makes the light more visible.

There is a reason Christmas is celebrated at the darkest time of our year. The message of Christmas is a message of light shining in the darkness, a message of hope overcoming fear, and ultimately, a message of love.

And it is darkness, which allows us to see this. Darkness allows us to see the Christmas lights, the glow of candles, the stars in the sky – there is something magical about the way the lights shine out of the darkness. Like magnets – attracting us towards them, these lights give us hope – hope that darkness is not all there is, hope that overcomes our fears, hope that what we see is not all there is.

This is one thing that darkness can teach us – that there is more than what is immediately visible – and that as we wait in the darkness, waiting for the light to come, we can become aware of what more there may be.

It’s a little like waiting for your eyes to adjust when you turn a light off, or first step out into a dark night in the countryside. It takes time, it requires patience, it takes paying attention, but it does happen – we become able to see more clearly, and to see things we might not have noticed in the light.

I wonder what you notice when life is dark? I wonder what we can learn by paying attention when things feel dark? Yes, it might be uncomfortable, it might even be painful – but it points to something beyond us - As Benedictine Joan Chittister writes:

“There is a light in us that only darkness itself can illuminate. It is the glowing calm that comes over us when we finally surrender to the ultimate truth of creation: that there is a God and we are not it.” 

It is indeed when we have nothing left to distract us that we can truly find God – but most of us do not stop and wait – we are too scared of what we might find if we strip away the hustle and bustle of life.

I wonder what you are afraid of? And I wonder if you have found a way to move beyond your fear? If you have found a light shining in the darkness?

At Christmas we celebrate the birth of a baby – a small defenseless baby – who comes into a world of conflict and pain – and who loves the world in spite of all the darkness. There is something so special about new born babies. As I was writing this, a tiny one was carried past me in it’s father’s arms. I had to stop and smile – recognizing the miracle of life, and the hope that comes with each new life beginning.

And it seems a miracle that God becomes a baby – becomes a small bundle in Mary’s arms… and even more so, that we are the reason Jesus comes… God’s love for us and for our world. This is the foundation of the hope we have.

A hope anchored in this Christmas story – a story of God entering into our darkness – and bringing light and love – a story that tells us we are never alone, no matter how afraid we are. God is with us in the darkness, and is a shining light to guide the way.

And tonight I pray that each of us may know that hope – may catch a glimpse of the joy and peace we are offered, when we look into the darkness and see the light – it may just be a flicker, it may take time for our eyes to adjust – but let’s focus on the light this Christmas – and let hope conquer our fears…

I wish you all a very Happy Christmas.