Light in the Darkness

December 21, 2020

An article in today’s New York Times about finding meaning in the Winter Solstice caught my attention this morning. Opining about the depression and discouragement that has come with COVID-19, the writer spoke of various religious traditions surrounding the solstice that purport to deal with hope that comes with lengthening days. Ranging from Zoroastrianism to Native American and Hindu traditions, the author reminds us that “for millenniums, during these months of darkness, humans have turned to rituals and stories to remind one another of hope and deeper truths.” 

Overall, the article seemed to be a grasping at straws, a whistling in the dark, hoping to find some kind of meaning in the cycle of the seasons that would give strength and encouragement in this time of worsening fear. I thought to myself, “How sad that for so many people, this pandemic has completely defined and confined their lives. People act as if this were the worst thing in human history that has ever happened. It is not. As bad as it may be, COVID barely scratches the surface of human tragedy and disaster. It is a dark time, but it’s not the end of the world. 

Just the other day, I was thinking about light. The Christian Gospel which was almost completely ignored by the writer in the NYT article is all about light. “God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness was not able to overcome it” (John 1:5). “I am the Light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12). Light is our stock in trade.

One of my favorite Scripture verses is from Psalm 119:130–“The entrance of your words gives light.”

The Christmas story is shrouded in darkness. Jesus is born in the night. The shepherds are keeping watch over their flocks by night. The angel speaks to Joseph in a dream at night. The wise men follow a star—at night, of course. It was into a world of darkness that Jesus came. It is not accidental that the narratives of Jesus’ birth are nighttime stories. Jesus comes into the darkness of human life, shedding his light on our condition.

Most of us have felt that darkness closing in this past year. Too many have succumbed to it; not just the disease, but also the despair, turning to alcohol, drugs, violence. We are looking for the light at the end of the tunnel that never seems to come. The NYT is stumbling in the dark, missing the mark. They are looking for meaning in all the wrong places. The Light has already come, and shines in the darkness, but we too often close our eyes to it and wonder why we aren’t seeing anything good. 

The Light still shines. We’ve spent too much time peering into the darkness; it’s time to open our eyes to the Light of Christ so we don’t have to keep stumbling through life feeling lost and hopeless. The Light still shines, so let us give thanks and live in joy.